Pull Me Down
by Hazel Rayne 008
Summary: Dean Ambrose thinks his life is just black and white, living the life of a WWE Superstar. Even catching the eye of Renee Young. Things seemed simple enough until he is reunited with a high school friend named Adalynn. She makes him question his life's choices including the word he fears most. Love. When they are put together in an angle, is it the last push they need to reconnect?
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: I know I'm still currently writing 'Made of Lies'; but this idea came to me while listening to music one night before falling asleep. That's usually how I get my best thoughts. I hope everyone takes the time to give this one a chance just like 'Made of Lies'. Enjoy the newest story inspired by the songs 'Pull Me Down' by Mikky Ekko and 'Don't Let Me Go' by RAIGN.**

Chapter 1: Black and White

Dean Ambrose stood in the center of the ring screaming at Seth Rollins to come back and face him like a man. Ever since the falling out of The Shield he had made it his goal to make Seth's life a living hell, despite his winning of the precious Money In The Bank briefcase with a contract to face the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at any time.

The company felt the three members were good enough individually to be considered singles competitors; but deep down he felt that he wasn't as well liked as the others. He never questioned his scripts. He always did as he was told. That was just how it was if he wanted to keep his job.

"Are you okay, man? You seem out of it today." Seth asked backstage after the show had ended.

"Yeah, I've been a little distracted lately. No need to worry though."

"I wasn't going to; but hey, I'm heading to a NXT show on Thursday. Do you want to go?"

Dean rose an eyebrow, confused as to why he would be going to one of those. NXT was the place all the developmental superstars wrestled. He had been there several times when The Shield was freshly formed. Seth studied his friend's face for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what he was thinking; but Dean was one of those hard-to-read people and at times it was frustrating.

"Why are ya going down there?" Dean asked curiously.

"Scouting the new talent. I haven't been there in several months and I know there is a lot of new faces."

It made sense. Scouting the competition helped with handling the current scripts and the way it was conducted on TV. Before he could answer, Renee Young approached him dressed in a denim mini skirt and a frilly red halter top. Her long blonde hair was partly pulled up with a clip while the other half lay across her shoulders in curled ringlets.

He had forgotten they had made plans to go out for drinks after the show and it made him feel like a total ass for not remembering. "Are you ready to go?" She asked with a pleasant smile etched across her curved lips.

"Ahh damnit...I totally forgot, I'm sorry..." He apologized.

"Rain check then?"

"Definitely!"

Dean leaned in and kissed her cheek gently before she walked away. His eyes lingered on her frame slightly longer than necessary; but he simply couldn't help it, she was beyond beautiful in his eyes.

Seth snickered at the sight; but it was all in good fun. He was happy that his friend had eyes for someone. There was that small feeling that his friend might have been gay, because he never showed much interest in the opposite sex until Renee started in the company.

"What the hell are you smiling at?" Dean asked when he realized he wasn't alone.

"Nothing at all..."

He started to walk away in the direction of his own locker-room to gather his belongings. "Hey, consider me in for the NXT trip. It's not a bad idea to scout the new talent." Dean replied to Seth's previous question.

"Alright, it should be an interesting night."

**Thursday Night**

Dean and Seth stepped into the building of the NXT taping. They saw quite a few familiar faces; but more importantly there were some that were completely new to them.

While they were walking the halls, they were stopped by John Bradshaw Layfield, the General Manager of the territory. He shook both mens' hands excitedly. "Welcome! What brings you out here?" He asked.

"Scouting." Dean replied emotionlessly.

"I see... feel free to explore and talk to anyone." John offered.

"Well then, we will take you up on that offer." Seth inserted.

John's fake smile make Dean sick to his stomach. He had never been a fan of fake people, much less ones who thought they were better than everyone else. Growing up, he saw way too much of that in school and in high-school jobs. Feeling Seth's hand on his shoulder, it snapped him out of the trance from the past.

"Come on, bro..."

"Lead the way..."

Dean held his arm out to allow Seth to take the lead. He had a bad feeling; but he just pushed it aside as not really wanting to be there. No matter how much he tried to be social, he always felt better when he was alone.

Turning another corner, they came out at the curtain for the stage. Two women stood close by preparing for their match. Seth paid little attention to them; but Dean felt like he knew the one from somewhere. A hundred different faces filtered through his mind, trying to pinpoint exactly who she was and that's when it hit him. He had gone to high school with her. She had been known as trouble. She spent quite a bit of her time in detention and dealing with suspensions for various reasons.

"Adalynn?" He asked taking a step closer to the woman.

A woman with shoulder length brown hair and reddish highlights turned her head in the direction her name being called. Her stunning green eyes met Dean's blue ones. It took her a moment to comprehend that he was actually talking to her. She recognized him almost immediately. Not because he was a main roster guy; but because she had spent most of high school days admiring him from afar.

"Dean, is that you?" She asked taking a step of her own closer to him.

"How have you been?" He asked even though he knew it was a stupid question.

"Good for the most part. I'd be here forever if I took the time to explain everything."

He smiled at her. He was happy for her. She finally had gotten away from the family that abused her mentally and physically for years. As far as he could see, she was doing pretty well for herself. "I know that feeling." He replied.

"How long are you going to be here? I'd love to catch up with you over a drink."

"I think I can manage to stick around for the show."

His answer sparked a shimmer within her eyes. The woman before him seemed different that she had been all those years ago; but her beauty only seemed to grow more intensely. The Adalynn he remembered was harsh, bitter, and selfish. She just didn't seem that way in that moment; but he also knew that looks can be deceiving as well. "I'm up next, you guys can watch me from that TV over there." She stated pointing to a screen across the hall.

Seth followed Dean across the hall before saying his thoughts about what he had just witnessed. The woman his friend called Adalynn gave off a vibe that didn't sit well with him. 'Wild Ones' by Flo Rida and Sia started up and the NXT diva made her way to the ring with a beautiful smile plastered on her face. "Who is she?" Seth asked breaking the silence between them.

"Adalynn Rae Michaels. I went to school with her back in the day."

"It sounds more than that to me."

Adalynn locked up with her opponent, Natalya, in the center of the ring. Natalya's upper body strength was greater and the smaller woman was shoved onto her backside. The crowd clapped to get behind her, encouraging her. She got back up to her feet and took a more direct approach by slapping the blonde across the face.

Natalya retaliated with a slap of her own, which soon turned into full blown punches and forearm shots to the face. Adalynn shifted around her and delivered a standing drop kick from behind, sending the veteran face first into the mat. "Are you going to elaborate on the relationship?" Seth asked out of curiosity; but it was mostly because he didn't want to see Renee get hurt because of a woman from the past.

"There is nothing to elaborate on. Addy and I never were anything but friends. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't think about it back then; but there is nothing to fall into now. She's got her own life and I have mine."

"I just wanted to know, because there is a certain blonde that seems to like you a lot back on the main roster."

Dean hated to admit that he had forgotten about Renee while talking to Adalynn. It didn't really matter, because after tonight he wouldn't be back for a NXT tapping for a long time and by then who knows where his life will lead him. Course, to him everything in life was black and white. There were no in between.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Thanks goes to wwemicky, Kdaniels270, RachelNicole523,CarolReigns, UselessWithAPen, nerdygirlforce1, JohnCenaFan21, ghunter182003, lovethemafia, and NESSAANCALIME6913 for becoming followers to this story. Thanks also goes to wwemicky, Jeri252, Leasha Orton, and NESSAANCALIME6913 for the reviews. I promise this is not a Renee Young X Dean Ambrose story, for those of you who were concerned about that. It is an OC story, so enjoy the next chapter.**

Chapter 2: Tension

Adalynn rolled out of the ring after being defeated by the veteran Natalya. She was still a rookie even though she had been with NXT longer than some of the others. It didn't really matter in her eyes. She was happy being right where she was. Thinking about her life before being a wrestler made her cringe. Her family were happy to be rid of her when she decided to leave home. Deep down she was happy to leave them behind as well.

"You did pretty good out there tonight, Addy." Natalya complimented.

"Thanks; but there is definitely room for improvement though."

"Everyone could improve their skills, even the ones who have been in the company for years. It's all about how you use the skills you already have."

She appreciated the advice and hoped that someday she was would be as talented as she was. They turned the corner towards the woman's locker-room. Adalynn's eyes connected with Dean's form leaning against the wall next to the door for the entrance of the locker-room with his arms crossed over his chest. Natalya was surprised to see him there. "Dean, what brings you to NXT tonight?" She asked out of curiosity.

"Came with Seth for talent scouting."

"So where is Seth?"

"He's around somewhere. Said something about Adrian Neville."

Adalynn glanced in Dean's way with a slight shy smile. Studying every little detail of his face and body, made her realize just how he changed physically over the years. It intrigued her to want to know if he had changed in personality as well. She could remember their late night conversations about life and goals for when they got out high school.

"So why are you hanging out by the woman's locker-room?" Natalya asked.

"I asked him to stick around. It was the only logical place for me to go after the show." Adalynn answered.

"Wait! You know him? I thought you never met main roster guys until just recently."

A small laugh escaped her throat at the thought of explaining the past to her; but Natalya was a friend and had taught her so much in such a short time. "You're right; but Dean and I went to high school together."

"Oh really? What are the odds of that?"

"Relax Nattie, I'm still going out with you tonight. I just invited him for one drink so I could try and catch up with him. I haven't seen him in ten years."

Natalya wrapped an arm around the smaller woman, leaning her head into Adalynn's cheek. Dean was even more thrilled to know that she had made friends. His phone beeped inside his pocket of his fitted jeans. Both women looked at him with a questioning expression. He shrugged and reached into his pocket for the device. _**"Where are you? Renee is looking for you."**_ Seth messaged.

He didn't know that Renee would be there, otherwise he would have declined to make the trip; but if he had declined then he wouldn't have been reunited with Adalynn. Letting out a sigh, he shook his head trying to figure out exactly what to do. If he blew off Renee again, she'd probably never want to speak to him again; but if he blew of Adalynn's attempt to rekindle their friendship, she'd never forgive him.

"What's wrong?" Natalya asked noticing his odd behavior after reading the text message.

"Renee is looking for me..." He replied hesitantly.

"Who is Renee?" Adalynn asked oblivious to the name.

Before anyone could answer, Dean could see Seth walking down the hall with Renee. He really hated when Seth tried to play match maker in his life. When he was ready to date, he would date; but to force it down his throat was going to get both of them nowhere. Renee's heels clicked against the hard floors. Adalynn couldn't take her eyes off of her. The radiating beauty was far superior than anyone she had ever known. She wondered who she was.

"There you are." Renee greeted in a cheery voice.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were on the plane already." Dean replied kissing her cheek.

"Seth mentioned where you guys were going and I thought I'd surprise you."

Adalynn began to cower backward, trying to escape without being seen by the others. Just witnessing how the two spoke to each other, she knew that Renee was someone special in Dean's life. She really couldn't blame anyone or to even think that Dean would remain single for the rest of his life. Her one hope, ten years ago, was he'd declare his feelings for her; but he never did and by the way things looked, he never would.

"It's been a long day, I'm going to get cleaned up and I'll meet you by the car." She told Natalya before walking into the locker-room.

"Addy?" She replied confused as to what changed so suddenly.

Dean lowered his head, realizing that his chance to rekindle their friend had just flown out the window. Renee gently placed a hand on his arm, attempting to get him to look at her. His blue orbs met hers for only a brief moment. "I need some air." He stated and stormed off in the direction of the exit.

"What is going on?" Renee asked almost on the verge of tears, thinking it had something to do with her.

Seth was more than willing to answer the question; but when he opened his mouth to speak, Natalya gave him a stern glare that pretty much meant for him to keep his mouth shut. Renee was frantic. Turning her head from Seth to Natalya and back again. There was something definitely wrong and she was determined to know what it was.

"It's been nice seeing you; but I have a friend that needs me, so if you will excuse me."

Renee watched Natalya slip passed them and enter the woman's locker-room. Before the door closed shut, she could see the upset NXT Diva sitting on a metal folding chair in the center of the room. There was a connection between Dean and that woman, she just knew it deep within her heart. She turned heel and stormed off in the direction Dean went.

**Inside Woman's Locker-Room**

Adalynn hated the way she was feeling in that moment. It had been years since she felt jealousy of another human being. Seeing the way Renee looked at Dean, it was obvious that she was in love with him. It was a look that she had been dreaming to see on his face about her from the day she met him. "Are you okay?" Natalya asked coming to sit down beside her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way in front of them." She apologized.

"There is no need to be sorry. I just don't understand why you just left."

"Are they dating?"

The question was abrupt and to the point. Natalya then realized that Adalynn must have had lingering feelings for Dean. She must have been drowning them with everything she did in life. After seeing him again, must have awakened them. Wrapping an arm around her, she leaned her head against hers. "As far as I know, no; but I do see them together a lot backstage and out at clubs."

"I don't know why I still hurt after all these years. We never dated; but I still cared about him a lot."

"It's okay...there is no harm in caring about him."

Adalynn stood up and shrugged her shoulders, changing her mood at the toss of a dime. Digging into her bag, she pulled out a pair of ripped jeans and white crop tank top with a long sleeved fishnet top to go over it. She began to change into the clothes, mentally praying that going out would erase the feelings that plagued her conscious.

"Are we still going out tonight?" Natalya asked.

"Oh yeah, I'd never miss one of our girl nights."

"You know it's okay if your not feeling up to it."

Pulling the hem of the fishnet top down, she turned to face her friend. While she appreciated her concern for her feelings, it also annoyed her because didn't want to be pitied. She just wanted to forget that Dean ever wandered back into her life for that brief moment. "I'm fine. I want to go out."

"Okay, I'll go get changed..."

**Parking Lot**

Dean leaned his head against the window of his vehicle. He was already regretting his decision to come with Seth. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have seen Adalynn again. The tension between him and Renee wouldn't exist. He knew sooner or later she'd ask him about what happened just moments before. "Dean, what's wrong?" The warm voice asked.

"There is nothing to worry about. Everything is fine." He mumbled against the glass of the window.

"I seriously doubt that. Your head is up against a window. Who was that woman with Natalya?"

And there was the dreaded question he was hoping to avoid answering. He lifted his head up from the glass and turned in her direction. She at least deserved to hear from his lips instead of hearing it muffled by a car window. Renee reached out and took hold of his hand, brushing her thumb across his rough skin. "Her name is Adalynn Michaels." He answered.

"You seem like you know her personally..."

"I did...ten years ago. She was a really good friend."

The words 'good friend' triggered even more thoughts inside her head. Seeing her again obvious brought back something he had been trying to suppress for years. Was it feelings he never confessed? Or was it a past he had been running from? She didn't have an answer to either one of the questions. Her fingers twined with his as she tried to be a comforting as possible. "You can tell me anything, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know..."

"Come on let's go out for a drink. It might help."

Dean nodded his head and walked with her to the passenger side of the vehicle. He opened the door for her and closed it once she got it. Stopping for a moment to think about what he was doing, he decided that maybe he should do what was comfortable. The black and white lifestyle had always kept his heart safe up until now.

Just seeing Adalynn for those moment, made him question the black and white; but when he realized that his window of opportunity to rekindle his friendship with her flew out the window, the black and white just seemed safer. Dean continued on towards the driver side of the car and got inside. Renee smiled at him. The smile was slightly fake, due to the fact that she still felt that Adalynn was still on his mind.

**The Club**

Natalya and Adalynn walked into the throb of people surrounding each other, dancing to the beat of the DJ's music. The first thing they did was make their way to the bar for a drink. The bass from the music made Addy's heart pound. She enjoyed the feeling of the possibility of getting lost in the sensation of music.

The bar tender handed them two cups of captain and coke before turning his attention to other customers. Addy took the straw into her mouth and sucked out the first sip of the liquid. It slightly tingled down her throat as she swallowed the contents. The song changed to one they both liked. Natalya lifted her arms up and allowed her body to sway along with the beat. She encouraged Addy to join her and it didn't take long for the music to take over.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Thanks goes to ValleyToHell, Lilygirl95, esmecruz2095567, Cougar3371, Zombie450AriesBornePrincess, gamagori, okgurl87, and Brittnay-xx for becoming followers to this story. Thanks also goes to ghunter182003, Lilygirl95, wwemicky, Zombie450AriesBournePrincess, calwitch, and Leasha Orton for the reviews.**

Chapter 3: Confrontation

Renee reached over the center console to place her hand on top of Dean's. She had never met anyone like him before and it drew her in like a magnet to a piece of metal. He seemed so troubled and he pushed that into his onscreen character. They just seemed one in the same to her. The fact that he was troubled only wanted to be the one he'd run to with a problem. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly trying to break the awkward silence between them.

"Yeah, don't worry so much. I'm fine." He replied changing the tone of his voice so she wouldn't see through his lie.

"That's good. I think we need to just move forward from tonight."

"You're right."

A smile curved her lips when she felt his fingers lace with hers. She couldn't have felt any better knowing that he was with her. The question now was that if she could keep him with her now that he knew Adalynn was part of the NXT divas. Without even talking to the woman, she knew that they were polar opposites in personality. Not just because they looked totally different; but because they presented themselves differently, talked differently.

There was no doubt in her mind, that he would choose her over anyone else. She was going to prove herself at ever turn in their pending relationship. Seth was beyond supportive of her liking of Dean and that was the friend she needed to worry about.

Taking another sip of her drink, Adalynn allowed herself to flow with the music around her. She wanted to forget everything that happened over the last few hours. It really didn't surprise her that Dean would have someone so beautiful at his side. She lost count on how many times she told herself over the last ten years that he'd never be a part of her life again; but seeing him again only brought back everything she had felt all those years ago in a flood of emotion that could easily drown her in its depths.

"Addy, snap out of it. We are supposed to be having fun here." Natalya stated giving her friend a gentle elbow to the arm.

"I am having fun, I'm just trying to push all the stuff that came back tonight away again."

Natalya understood where she was coming from. It's not easy seeing someone again after so long, especially when you had feelings for that person. She shifted her gaze away for a split second only to see Renee and Dean walk in. There was no way that was just a coincidence they'd show up in the same club. A wave of anger washed over the blonde, knowing that Renee picked the place on purpose to prove a point. The whole things needed to nipped in the butt right at that moment or she was going to have an even more depressed best friend. "I'll be right back." She stated and left Adalynn alone in the large throb of people.

It didn't take long to reach the couple at the bar. Her eyes were narrowed and the expression was harsh. Dean knew instantly that she was angry; but he didn't know why. "Boy it didn't take you long to figure out where I took Adalynn, huh Renee?" Natalya asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Renee replied innocently.

"What is this about Natalya?" Dean asked interrupting the confrontation.

Adalynn felt like something just wasn't right about her friend's abrupt escape. She weaved her body through the crowd and made her way towards the bar. Seeing Dean and Renee together in front of Natayla was major jab to the chest. She figured that her protective best friend saw them enter and decided to make her feelings known about the situation. Knowing her so well, things would get heated pretty quickly; so she decided to end the confrontation once and for all so there was no mistakes in anything.

"Don't lie to me. You deliberately brought him here knowing I'd be here with Adalynn!" Natalya yelled.

"Let it go, Nattie..." Adalynn stated standing behind them with a hand on her hip.

Hearing her voice jolted Dean from his safe adaptation of life. He turned to look at her dressed in a pair of ripped jean that caressed her perfect curves. He could see her flat stomach tones with abs through the black fishnet top she was wearing. Everything about her screamed at him 'perfection'. He could feel Renee's grip on his hand tighten. "I'm only here to have fun. I'm not here to ruin your relationship with Dean. I'm happy he has someone in his life. We grew up with pretty crappy childhoods and to see that he has someone that accepts him for who he is...well who am I to judge that?" Adalynn explained trying not to choke on her words in fear of shedding tears she was feeling on the inside.

"Addy..." Dean whispered realizing that she wasn't the same woman from childhood.

"I appreciate that..." Renee answered after thinking a moment on what had just been said.

Natalya shook her head, hating the fact that Adalynn was giving up so easily. She always saw her as a fighter; but seeing her now changed the image. She reached out for the younger diva and pulled her back towards the large crowd of people. She hoped that she could distract her enough to get through the night without tears.

Dean continued to watch his former school friend distance herself from him even further. She wasn't fighting for anything, not even their old friendship. Hearing her blessing of Renee being a potential girlfriend was almost heartbreaking. That wasn't what he wanted. His mind and heart was completely at war with each other. Renee was the safe choice. She would help him to remain in his safe black and white lifestyle; but Adalynn was always the shade gray that lingered in his heart.

"Did you hear that? She gave us a blessing." Renee asked excitedly.

"Yeah...I heard..." He replied hesitantly.

His hesitation alerted her to another problem. Did Dean have lingering feelings for the former friend? She leaned in, hovering her lips over his. He didn't push her away; but he also didn't initiate a kiss either. Renee secured her lips upon his, hoping that she'd prove once and for all that they needed to be together.

Adalynn's eyes caught sight of the kiss. The empty cup in her hand was the victim of her wrath. Her hand clenched the plastic together and stormed off towards the exit, throwing the crushed cup into the trash can on her way out. Renee pulled away and opened to eyes to see the mad rush of Adalynn out the door. A small smile made its way to her lips, knowing that she was hurt by the display of affection. She was determined to make sure that she knew that he was hers.

Once outside, Adalynn let out a breath of air she had been holding in. She honestly didn't know why she continued to let Renee get to her. It had only been a couple hours since Dean came back into her life. There was no reason to be that upset what what's been happening; but it hurt so much, because she remembered everything from their past.

_Standing on curved bridge that covered a small stream in the back of the park in downtown Cincinnati, Adalynn wanted to escape the people she was supposed to call family. Her mom came home drunk again and her dad left for the third time in a week for no reason at all. She figured he was having an affair with someone else so he didn't have to deal with his drunken wife. The stinging pain on the right side of her face was all the indication she needed that her mom hated her._

"_Addy?" A familiar voice interrupted her self pitying thoughts._

"_What are you going here, Dean?" She asked._

"_Came to get away from home. I'm assuming that's why you are here to, right?"_

_ Adalynn turned to look at her best friend. He took one look at the red blotched spot on her face and he instantly knew there was more to her problems at home than she first lead on. He reached out for her hands, holding them gently. "Why didn't you tell me that you were being abused?" He asked softly._

"_I just didn't want to talk about it and I didn't want you to get involved in all that shit."_

"_Adalynn, I told you once before that I'm here for you no matter what happens in your life."_

_ She allowed herself one free moment to let all her emotions out. Tears rolled down her cheeks in a river as she wrapped her arms around him for comfort. He tried to give all the comfort she wanted and needed; but there was only so much he could do. Being abused was not just a physical problem it was a mental one as well._

_ The feeling of his lips on her forehead sent her heart into a spiral of emotion that just confused her more and more. There was nothing she wanted more in life than him; but she knew that she could never tell him how she felt, for fear of ruining their perfect friendship._

Adalynn felt the warm tears trickle down her cheeks as the memory came back as if it happened yesterday. A rumble of thunder echoed the night sky, signaling that it was time for her to find a cab. Every single one passed by, ignoring her flag down attempts. Cold rain started to pour down from the heavens, soaking her completely within seconds. She silently cursed at the luck she was receiving that day. Finally, after minutes of flagging cabs down one stopped for her to get in. Opening her mouth to tell the driver where she wanted to go, a text message vibrated her phone.

"_**Where did you go?"**_ Natalya asked in the message.

"_**I got a cab and went to the hotel. I'm sorry I wasn't much fun tonight."**_

"_**It's alright. No worries. I'll see you tomorrow."**_

Natalya shifted away from the crowd to get a refill on her drink. The moment she reached the bar, an arm quickly grabbed her firmly. Turning her head in the direction of the grip, she saw Dean's panic stricken expression. Instantly noticing Renee's absence, she wondered why he was coming to her. "What's wrong?" She asked curiously.

"Where is Adalynn?" He asked.

"On her way back to the hotel, why?"

His panic filled expression faded. He seemed much more relaxed than just seconds before. Something was definitely going on inside his head that she wanted to get to the bottom of. If he was kissing Renee moments before, then why would be worried that Adalynn was no longer there. It made no sense to her at all. "What's going on with you? You pretty much made it clear that you're dating Renee now when you kissed her, so why would Addy mean anything?"

"It's complicated..."

"How complicated could it really be, Dean? I get that you just saw Addy for the first time in ten years; but why would that effect your relationship with Renee in any way?"

The question was a just one; but one he wasn't ready to admit just yet. There was no denying that ever since he laid eyes on Adalynn again, he began to question everything he knew. That's just who she was. She did the exact same thing when he first met her ten years prior. He lived one way and she changed all that in such a short time. She was a drug, an addictive drug that he couldn't live without for very long.

"It's nothing...I got to take Renee back, she's quite the lightweight."

Natalya didn't say anything to his comment. She pretty much already guessed that there was some nagging feelings deep within him for Adalynn and hoped that eventually he'd figure out that Renee was very wrong for him in every sense of the word.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: Thanks goes to Zanderlover, feedmesmores, .halil and LoverGirl007 for becoming followers to this story. Thanks also goes to Zombie450AriesBournePrincess, LoveAmbrose08, wwemicky and Leasha Orton for the great reviews. You guys are simply amazing. I love to hear what you think and your opinions of what's going to happen next; but I do have a question for all of you. What's your opinions on me changing the rating to M. There are few ideas of mine that border the M rating. **

Chapter 4: Glimmer

Over the next week or so, Adalynn became quiet and more focused on her work. She wanted to prove to the whole NXT department that she was the real deal. Natalya watched her best friend closely, understanding the signs of depression and heartache. Although, Adalynn tried to make time for her there was still the nagging memory of her past that always seemed to interrupt their fun.

Her hard work finally paid off when the day came that Stephanie McMahon called her up to the main roster. She mentioned having the perfect storyline for her; but wouldn't elaborate on the details until she got to the arena that Monday for Raw. Everyone around her could tell she was excited about the upbringing; but there was still something that still bothered her and that was getting used to being around Dean Ambrose without becoming heartbroken day in and day out.

"Hey girl, how are you doing?" Nattie asked walking into the hotel room with a soft knock on the door.

"Nervous as hell. I never thought I'd be called up so soon into my career." Addy replied.

"Understandable; but you have some real talent and that's what matters."

"You are right, like always..."

Her famous smile tugged at her full lips. There was something about her smile that just drew people in, despite her loner personality. Natalya made her way towards the nervous woman about to make her Raw debut that night in front of thousands of people. Adalynn quickly sorted through her luggage bags to pack the clothes she was taking to the arena. She also tried to find clothes to wear to the arena. "I always liked that top. You should wear it." Natalya said pointing to a denim colored tank with ripped sides. The neck was scooped and low to show off her cleavage with the right bra.

"Okay..."

She slipped the top on and zipped up her jean shorts. Natalya handed her a long necklace with a white rose at the bottom. It was perfect to add attraction to her upper body. Raw was for the big leagues and they wanted flawless bodies. Her semi-long brown hair draped slightly over her shoulders with a slight curl to the ends. She slipped her ankle boots on and closed her bag, pulling the handle up. "Let's get going. I don't want to be late for my meeting with Stephanie."

"Don't worry, you won't be."

**The Arena**

Adalynn walked into the building, the butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Natalya hovered close by, guiding her in the right direction of the office where the meeting would be held. She was just as curious as Addy was to see what the storyline entailed. Her heels clicked against the floors and echoed in the quiet hallways.

"Here we are. I'll see you later, just message me when its over and I'll meet you here." Natalya stated.

"Okay...but I think I'll be fine on my own. I need to learn where everything is anyways."

She smiled and hugged her tightly before walking away in the opposite direction. Adalynn knocked on the door loudly, cautiously looking around from side to side. The door opened just as she caught a glimpse of Dean and Renee walking into the building. Stephanie stepped aside to allow the new diva into the fairly large office.

Dean could have sworn he saw Adalynn's dark hair walking into the office of the authority; but he shrugged it off as a coincidence. There were a few other diva's that had dark hair like hers. As far as he knew, she was still down in NXT. Renee's hand was twined with his as they walked down the silent hallway. "So I heard that were going to working with Wade Barrett in a program for the Intercontinental Championship." Renee commented trying to strike up a conversation with him.

"Yeah...it's supposed to start out with a singles match then a couple mixed tag matched and back to singles matches; but you know how things change on a whim."

"Mixed tag? Who are you tagging with?"

"I don't know. They never specified yet. I know Paige will be working with Wade."

Renee knew that it was part of the job; but it didn't help her insecurities. Or the fact that she wanted him to herself. Dean could see her concern in her eyes. He reached for her and kissed the top of her head. "Relax, you know its part of the job." He whispered before kissing her lips gently.

"I know. It still sucks though."

Inside the office, Adalynn sat down on the oversized sofa looking down at the script she would be involved in. Stephanie assured her that it was her best option to get reception by the fans of the company. Her words flowed through one ear and out the other, because there was nothing else on her mind but one name on the piece of paper in her hand. Dean Ambrose.

When she was first told that she made roster, her first thing was to try and figure out a way to work without bothering Dean's new life and now with the script in her hand, they wanted her to work with him onscreen. She honestly didn't know if she could do that without her heart shattering into pieces at the sight of him.

"Are you okay with this? You haven't spoken a word since you read over it." Stephanie asked.

"I'm okay with whatever you throw at me; but I can honestly tell you that I'm a little emotionally tied to this."

"What do you mean? Just so you know, everything you tell me is confidential. Nothing will get passed this room."

Adalynn was already beginning to like Stephanie and the presence she possessed. She felt like she could confine in her just like she could with Natalya; but the thought of risking her job by telling her how she felt was not something she wanted to do. "It's nothing. I'm perfectly okay with the script and you won't be disappointed in my performance."

"Okay...Good luck tonight and stay strong. You have a bright future."

"Thank you."

She walked out of the office with the script in her tight grip. The door closed behind her; but she couldn't find motivation to move away from the entrance way. There was so much on her mind and the only thing she could do was pretend like it didn't bring back memories of the past. She push them back, so as not to shed tears on her first day.

Dean took the script from Hunter. He wasn't surprised by all the changes. It happened all the time; but what surprised him was a name that he's be working with. Adalynn Michaels. So the dark haired woman he saw going into the office really was her. It was a surprise to see her on the main roster so quickly. "So who is it?" Renee asked looking over his shoulder in attempts to see the script for herself.

"It's Adalynn..." He replied softly.

"The one you went to school with?"

"Yeah...she made main roster..."

Renee swallowed her words down. She didn't want to say anything to upset him; but she was by no means happy with the decision to put the new girl with her man. Even if the new girl gave her blessing already. Somehow she felt like Dean was thrilled at the thought of working with her and if she could read minds, she'd find out that he really was overly thrilled at the thought.

"I should probably go talk to her about this. She probably doesn't have anyone to help her out with stuff." Dean admitted.

"Natalya is here. Let her do that."

"The program doesn't involve her. I get that you're upset; but she is still my friend regardless of the gap of time that passed."

Renee knew that there wasn't much she could say to change his mind. After knowing him for this long, she realized that once his mind was made up it was pretty damn difficult to change it. He leaned in to kiss her lips before walking out his locker-room. She felt like she was already loosing him and that only fueled the fire of determination within her to make sure he stayed with her.

Adalynn stood outside the woman's locker-room talking to Natalya about the acting part of the company. She knew some things; but they really didn't do much for promo's and storyline stuff in NXT. As she opened her mouth to respond to something that was explained, Dean turned the corner. Alone. Her lush green eyes couldn't seem to turn away from him. His smile was stunning and it warmed her entire body to the core.

She never noticed the gold earring in one of his ears before now and it was certainly another feature she loved on him. His brown hair was slightly in his blue orbs, drawing her in even further. Without even realizing it, he was her weakness. The one thing that would distract her from everything else in her life.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked in his rough rugged voice that sent a shiver up her spine.

"Yeah...sure...what's up?" Adalynn asked.

Natalya noticed instantly how her best friend's mood changed in just a spit second of seeing him. There was no denying the fact that the woman cared a great deal for him; but the problem now was the fact he had a girlfriend in Renee Young. "I'll give you guys privacy to talk." She stated and stepped inside the locker-room.

"I'm assuming you know about the script?" He asked taking a step closer to her.

"Yeah, I know it's not your idea of a fun thing; but it's supposed to boost my career."

"Did you really think I'd have a problem with it?"

Adalynn lowered her head away from his gaze. She honestly didn't know what he thought anymore now that he had Renee in his life. She hated herself for feeling that way. She hated how he could make feel so alive just by looking at her. It was feelings she shouldn't be feeling about someone else's man. "I honestly don't know..." She mumbled.

"Addy, come on. You know me. Would I ever have a problem working with you?"

She lifted her head. A few locks of her hair lay stray across her eyes as she nervously bit her bottom lip. A habit he knew all too well. He wondered what she was so nervous about. Unless there was something personal he didn't know about that was preventing her from accepting the way things were.

"Ten years ago, no; but now, I'm not so sure. You have Renee now. Doesn't working with me upset her?"

"It's part of the job and she knew that when she got involved with me. Nothing's changed. I feel the same now as I did then. You were my closest friend and always will be no matter what."

Her teeth bit harder on her lip, causing it become red and puffy for a moment. She couldn't believe that he still considered her his closest friend after the time that passed by without speaking to each other. Knowing that he still cared that much made her heart soar to new heights. He reached out for her hand. The smallest touch sent sparks throughout both of them. "I missed you..." She whispered hoping that he wouldn't hear.

Dean smiled indicating that he had indeed heard her confession. Wrapping his arms around her, he embraced her without a second thought. It had been too long without her comforting presence in his life. "I missed you to and I'm sorry that we lost contact." He admitted and apologized for the loss of connection over the last ten years.

Letting go of her, she took several steps away from him. Thinking back on what happened the last day she tried to see him. She had just received one of the worst beatings from her mother and she ran to him. Ran to where she knew he'd be; but he was nowhere to be found. The only thing she knew was that his family said he left for wrestling. It was the last thing she heard from them. No updates, nothing. It was like he had disappeared off the face of the earth.

"You weren't there..." She whispered holding back tears.

"Addy..."

"I needed you and you weren't there. My mom could have killed me that night and you left..."

"Addy, I'm sorry...It was a last minute decision and I did write you letter. Didn't you get it?"

She had never received one and shook her head to tell him such. He frowned at the thought of her never getting to read his last words to her. No wonder she was so upset about the situation. He could see her pulling away from him just when they were starting to rekindle. The sight of her pending tears in her beautiful eyes was heartbreaking. "I think I need to be alone for a while before the show. Don't worry everything will go smoothly tonight."

"Okay..."

He didn't push any further. He wanted her feel safe with him again and judging from her reaction moments prior, she didn't feel that way anymore. She stepped into the woman's locker-room, swiftly closing the door behind her so she couldn't see his face. And then she let the emotions flow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: Thanks goes to jamie. .9, xsmokeandmirrors, NikkiMoxey, elliexhardy, and jouetdedestin for becoming followers of this story. Thanks also goes to LosingMyImagination, wwemicky, xsmokeandmirrors, NikkiMoxey, Zombie450AriesBournePrincess, and Leasha Orton for the awesome reviews. Well you've guys spoke and from now on this story will be M rated.**

Chapter 5: Control Factor

Natalya rushed to her friend's side as she witnessed her slide to the floor with her back against the closed door. Her arms wrapped around the defeated woman on the floor. "Shh...what happened?" She tried to soothe. It was all too obvious that her heart was completely shattered and couldn't take another ounce of emotional pain.

"Nothing...I just...I just don't know if I can do this..." Adalynn cried.

"Don't give up. Trust me it will get better. I promise after this little angle with him is over things will take a turn for the better." Natalya encouraged.

She extended her hand out for Adalynn to take. Once her hand connected with hers, she lifted her back up to her feet. The black of her mascara left streaks down her cheeks and she knew that she'd have to redo her make-up before the show started. Adalynn honestly didn't know what she would do without Natalya. It was the first time since her friendship with Dean, did she ever trust someone so much.

Dean lingered by the woman's locker-room door a little longer than he should have. Adalynn had been scared to open up to him. He could tell when he felt her tremble in his arms. The feeling of it wouldn't go away and left a tingling sensation all over his body. He closed his hand into a fist and pushed it through a large cardboard box that was nearby. "Addy..." He whispered before walking away back towards his own locker-room.

**Raw/ The Match**

Halfway through the show, it was time for Dean to face Wade Barrett in a match. Since returning from injury sooner than anyone expected, Wade plowed through the competition and regained the Intercontinental Championship from The Miz without much of an effort. During that time, WWE Diva's Champion Paige caught his attention. They were quickly becoming the next power couple within the company.

"Rebel Son' started with the familiar phrase about the British's Queen of England. The champion walked out onto the stage with a black open robe that lay loosely over his shoulders. Paige stood beside him dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and an altered version of her own t-shirt. She hooked her arm with his as they made their way to the ring.

The crowd was unimpressed by the duo and their reign of terror as of late. 'Retaliation' cut off the current music. The cheers were deafening and it surprised even JBL, Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole sitting at ringside performing the commentary duties for the TV viewers. Dean had become more and more popular with the people even after his feud with Seth Rollins was over.

Paige stepped out of the ring; but not before kissing Wade on the cheek. Her eyes never left Dean. The harsh stare she gave him meant nothing. He still vowed inside his mind to defeat him and prove that he deserved a title shot against him.

Once the bell rang, it was all about business and completing the task at hand. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL acknowledged Paige sitting down for commentary. Dean started out with a fury of punches and kicks, catching the bigger man off guard. "So what do you think of Dean Ambrose, Paige?" Michael asked out of curiosity; but already knew the answer.

"He's just a small obstacle for Wade to plow through. There is no worry coming from me." She replied flipping her hair from her shoulder.

Dean planted Wade with a DDT and her expression quickly changed. Wade kicked out after an agonizing two count. Michael Cole changed the subject to the Diva's Championship, since she hadn't defended it in quite some time. "When do you think we'll be seeing you defend your title?"

"When there is some competition for me. I've dominated the diva's division since I won this title and I don't plan on losing it any time soon."

Wade tossed Dean out onto the floor in front of the commentary table. Paige took off her headset she had been using and stepped out around to see the carnage first hand. A wicked smile appeared on her narrow lips as Wade posed for a brief moment.

Dean got back to his feet and elbowed his opponent in the gut. His temper burst out of control. He grabbed at several steel chairs and threw them inside the ring. Paige looked on with a horrified expression upon her face. She didn't know if she could try and talk him out of beating her boyfriend to a pulp.

"Please, don't!" She screamed.

Dean ignored her plea attempt and rolled into the ring with a chair in hand. Wade turned and shoved his boot into his face, knocking him to the mat. Paige let out a sigh of relief; but it was short lived and the referee called for the disqualification the second the steel chair connected with Wade's back.

She screamed for him to stop; but her attempts were useless when he was in the state of mind he was famous for, 'The Lunatic Fringe'. Her eyes made contact with another woman running down the ramp. The recognition was instant. Adalynn Rae.

"Who is that?" Michael Cole asked knowing JBL would know the answer.

"That's Adalynn Rae from NXT; but I have no idea why she'd be out here." He answered with as much surprise to his voice than his partners' did.

Adalynn rolled into the ring and stood before Dean. He held the bent to hell chair over his head, ready to drive it into Wade's back again. The second he looked into the woman's face he lowered his arms and dropped the chair onto the mat. He started to regain control over his emotions. There were no words exchanged, just expressions and silent meanings the people could interpret for themselves.

**After The Show**

Dean walked backstage towards his locker-room. Renee was leaning against the wall next to the door. Her arms were crossed over her chest and he could tell she was upset about something; but honestly had no idea why or what would cause her to be upset at all.

"What's wrong?" He asked stopping mid-step.

"You know they are making your character look weak by adding her in as your control factor." She replied.

"Jesus...this again. Look, I've told you before that this is part of the job and you really need to get over it."

She stood up straight and stared at him closely. The problem wasn't really with the storyline; but with the woman who was a part of it. She couldn't shake the feeling like Adalynn was there for more than just wrestling. "I don't trust her..." Renee admitted in a faint whisper.

"She never did a thing to you, so your distrust in her is ridiculous. I don't have time for insecurities right now. I have a meeting with Hunter in a few minutes and I want to get changed."

"I'm sorry..."

He stepped passed her and walked into his locker-room knowing full well that he had upset her even further than before. All he could think about was Adalynn and the look of desperation on her face from their earlier conversation. The tears that rolled down her cheeks was something he hated seeing. He hated it back then and he hated it now.

Adalynn changed into a pair of light colored ripped skinny jeans with a black crystal studded butterfly belt. She slipped back on her black ankle boots with the two inch heel. The shirt she had been wearing had become too sweaty and gross; so she changed it to a simple black cami with a low neck-line. Satisfied with the look, she began to pack up her belongings into her bag. As she stuffed her things into the compartment, a silver necklace fell onto the floor with a thud.

She looked down onto the floor to see what had fallen. The second her eyes lay on the object a memory of when and who and given it to her flooded into her mind with no way of stopping it.

"_You really need to leave this school. Nobody wants you here." A girl stated from a large classroom._

"_Yeah, go back to the filth you come from on the other side of the city." A boy commented._

_ Adalynn was used to the comments. She had been receiving them from the time she was ten. There was no denying the fact that her family was poor and couldn't afford the newest fashions or to even pay the bills on time; but the fact that her mother was a well known alcoholic didn't help with matters either. "Just leave me alone..." She always said and tried to walk away from the pushy group._

"_Awe look guys, she's going to cry again." _

_ She begged for her will to be strong enough to not cry in front of them. The burn of the tears was painful. She hated the fact that they would do this on her birthday. A day that was supposed to be all hers. The group blocked her path and she could no longer hold back the tears. The warm liquid rolled down her cheeks painfully. "Why don't you guys leave her alone." A warm but stern voice alerted the large group to his presence._

"_It's Dean..." One of the girls whispered._

"_That's not a surprise. We should have known that he wouldn't be that far behind." Another girl whispered._

_ They all knew his reputation and also knew not to mess with him when he gave a warning. The group quickly scattered and dispersed away from Adalynn's trembling body. Her eyes made contact with his and quickly felt the comfort of his arms around her. "You really need to fight back against them. I can teach you." He whispered._

"_Thank you..."_

_ He pulled away and shrugged at her thanks. She really didn't mind him saving her all the time; but he was right. She really needed to fight back and stop being such a coward. They made their way back to the apartment he lived in with his family. She always felt save there. "Oh, I have something for you. Hold tight, I'll be right back." He stated and left her alone in the kitchen._

"_A new wrestling video?" She asked._

_ Dean walked back out with a small boxed wrapped in gold paper. Her heart started to beat faster when she realized that it wasn't a new video for them to study. "Happy Birthday, Adalynn." He said with a smile as he handed the box to her._

_ Her hand shook when she took hold of the object. Her fingers trembled as she tried to open the paper. She never imagined him to get her something so personal for her birthday. Most of the time they just got each other wrestling videos or books with the money they earned with their after school part-time jobs._

_ Once she got the paper off, she popped the top off the box to see what was inside. A silver diamond shaped pendent with a small black onyx in the center was attached to a silver chair. It sparkled against the ceiling lights. She was speechless, not knowing what to say to him. "Do you like it?" He asked._

"_I love it...thank you so much." She replied lifting it out._

_ He took the necklace from her hands. His hands moved her hair away from the back of her neck so he could see to clasp it. The pendent felt cold against her skin and her fingers traced its shape for a few seconds before coming to terms that it really was there._

Adalynn blinked back the tears that resulted from the memory. She lifted the necklace up from the floor and quickly clasped it around her neck. Lifting up on the handle of her bag, she started out of the locker-room with the bag close behind. Stephanie McMahon was standing outside the door ready to knock. "Adalynn?" She said hoping she'd stop walking.

"What's up?" She replied with her own question.

"You did pretty well tonight. The chemistry between you and Dean was believable, almost real. We may keep you with him longer than originally planned."

"Thank you, I appreciate your compliments."

Despite the compliments, Adalynn was really dreading the length of the angle. She didn't know how her heart would survive being so close to him; but not really. Unconsciously, she reached for the pendent around her neck. Stephanie noticed the gesture and wondered why she would be grabbing at the beautiful item.

"Adalynn, are you sure that you are okay with this storyline? It seems like something personal is bothering you."

"I'm fine and okay with the storyline as well."

"Well good..."

Stephanie hesitated in walking away; but Adalynn was adamant in being fine with the storyline. Once the boss was out of sight, she turned her head in the opposite direction only to see Dean walking alone towards her. He was pulling his bag behind him and the look on his face made her freeze solid in her spot.

The closer he got the clearer the image of her necklace got. Recognizing it as the one he had gotten her for her birthday years ago, made his heart race a little at the thought of her keeping it for that long. "Hey, look, I'm sorry about earlier." He apologized.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" She asked trying not to make much eye contact.

"I should have told you in person that I was leaving..."

She lifted her hand up to silence him. Despite feeling hurt by his disappearance, she really couldn't hold anything against him. He did what he needed to better himself and she only wished that she could have done it sooner that just two years ago. "I understand why you left. There was no reason for me to be angry about it." She replied.

"Addy...I...I don't expect your forgiveness to come so easy; so please don't force yourself to forgive me just because we work together."

Adalynn took several steps closer to him, closing the gap between them. When she stopped walking, she was close enough to touch him; but held back from doing so. He looked down into her beautiful green eyes that he loved so much and reached out to take her hand into his. The sudden touch startled her a little. She never expected him to reach out to her in anyway. "Do you really think I'd be wearing this necklace if I didn't already forgive you?" She asked in a soft voice.

"Addy..."

"Don't beat yourself over it. I'm over it and we are both different people now because of it."

She pulled her hand away from his grasp and turned her head in the direction of the exit to see Natalya waiting for her. Turning back to Dean, she smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm glad you apologized though, it means a lot to me." She whispered in his ear and backed away towards the exit.

All he could do was watch her walk away. He didn't even get to say everything he wanted to. In just the short time of her coming back into his life, she had changed his outlook on just about everything he was used to. He questioned the way he lived his life. He even questioned his decision to enter a relationship with Renee. She was all he could think about most days and that was something he needed to figure out on his own.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: Thanks goes to PrincessHJL1295, janetreader24, Beautifulmiracle, amber-gem, and SOAJuice for becoming followers to this story. Thanks also goes to wwemicky, Zombie450AriesBournePrincess, and xsmokeandmirrors for the awesome reviews. If you have read 'Made of Lies' then you know that there is only one chapter left before it ends. Then my full attention will be on this story. I'm really hoping that this one will be as successful as my last story. It's already well on its way and it all thanks to all of you readers and reviewers. Oh and Happy Birthday to my best friend, fellow author Leasha Orton.**

Chapter 6: Broken Promise and The Challenge

Adalynn lay on her belly facing the edge of the hotel bed. Her journal was open and a pen tip was gracefully rubbing against the elegant pages. Writing in the journal was the one thing that kept her sane through some of the darkest times in her life. It was the one birthday present her father gave to her that meant something. It actually meant the world to her, because someday she would find her father and give it to him. To let him read about everything he missed out on in her life.

Her hand swiftly moved along the smooth paper, placing her thoughts and memories on the beautiful lines. The next day was the Smackdown taping and she would be featured again as the control factor for Dean. As much as she didn't want to admit it, her feelings for him ten years ago were still as prominent as they were then; but he was with Renee Young and seemed pretty happy with her. Acceptance was her only logical step.

"Daddy, I really wish you were around. You always knew the right things to say to make me feel better." She muttered before closing her journal.

She moved back up to the head of the bed and pulled the covers down. The second her head hit the pillow, her mind wandered back to earlier in the night. Dean's warm embrace and his apology was more than she ever expected to receive from him. Her mind wanted to trust him again; but her heart was fearful of what it would entail. It feared of being shattered again.

Closing her eyes, sleep took over her consciousness. Her subconscious was finally in control. It showed her images of things that her inner desires wanted to happen. A first kiss, a first date, and a solid friendship that could never be broken.

On the next floor up, Dean walked down the hall towards his room. His fingers were twined with that of Renee's. There were no words exchanged between them and it was hard for him to figure out what to say to her. She was insecure and jealous. Her clingy behavior was not something he anticipated when he started the relationship with her; but he also didn't anticipate that Adalynn would suddenly return to his life after ten years of absence.

"You know I'm sorry about earlier." Renee apologized.

They stopped walking and he released her hand. They stood in front of his door that led inside his room. Dean stared at her a moment, studying her beautiful features. Her long blonde hair and dark blue eyes among many others. He nodded his head as if he understood why she was apologizing. "I know; but this isn't the first time you've gotten upset about something you already knew about." He accused.

"I didn't know that Adalynn was going to play the part of your control factor. It could have been anyone else and I would have been fine with it."

Agitated, he crossed his arms over his chest. He really didn't feel like fighting with her again. At the same time he was wondering why the company did pick her to play the part. "Don't you see that ever since you saw her again, she's all you've been able to focus on." She pleaded.

"We have history and I hadn't seen her in ten freaking years, Renee. What did you expect?"

She understood then that he really did care about the woman. It was a confused line between friendship and something more. She hated to see him go down that path, because ninety-nine percent of the time it ended in a failure. Dean reached out for her hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb across her delicate skin. "I left her...I left her without saying a word. Her mother was an abusive alcoholic that loved to beat up on her any chance she got...and..." He tried to explain.

"And you were her protector. Her savior when things got rough." Renee finished.

"Yeah...I guess I was...but I wasn't there for her when she needed me most."

Renee took his confession to heart. It just made her realize just how sweet of a guy he really was. Taking steps closer to him, she leaned in and kissed his lips chastely. She didn't want to let him go just when their relationship started; but she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his feelings than he was telling her. "I think you need to figure out exactly how you feel. I'm not going to be the go to girl when your life sucks." She admitted.

"You were never the go to girl, Renee."

"I know..."

She gave his hand one last squeeze before walking away. There wasn't anything that he could say that would change her mind or convince himself that she was wrong, because everything she told him was the truth. Adalynn was on his mind more often than he liked to admit. The image of her curved frame standing before him just hours prior only made things worse. Much worse.

**The Next Day**

Adalynn stepped into parking lot of the arena dressed in a black sun dress that dipped low across the chest line. Dangling in between her breasts was the necklace Dean had bought her for her birthday all those years ago. It complimented the dress nicely. The humid summer air was almost suffocating. Looking up into the sky, she could see grayish black clouds moving in. They were trying to cover up the remaining sunlight that was still present.

Rumbles of thunder echoed across the pending night air. The heels of her strap sandals clicked against the pavement was she walked. Natalya was waiting for her by the door with a smile upon her face. Word had gotten to her about the break up of Renee and Dean. She figured it would please her to know that he was free game again.

"What's got you in such a good mood, Nattie?" Adalynn asked.

"He's single again." She replied.

"Who's single again? I thought you were a married woman."

Natalya laughed at her innocent remarks. She really had no idea what she was talking about. It made telling her all the more enjoyable. To see life flicker back into her forest colored eyes gave her fulfillment. "This isn't about me silly. Dean is single again. Word is Renee broke up with him last night."

Adalynn's eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He seemed so happy with her and somehow she felt like it was her fault. Natalya noticed immediately that something wasn't right with the reaction. She had expected her to smile at least; but there was nothing but sadness behind those eyes. "I thought you'd be happy." She commented.

"I wanted him to be happy. There is nothing I want more than that."

"Except the fact that you have feelings for him and don't lie to me by telling me that you don't."

Adalynn opened her mouth to answer the accusation; but before she could Dean approached them, looking to get inside the building they were standing in front off. His face held no emotion whatsoever until he laid eyes on the woman who plagued his thoughts daily.

"Addy..." He spoke softly.

"I just heard. How are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Things weren't that serious anyway."

Natalya took the opening as an opportunity to escape and leave them alone. There was more than their friendship that needed mending. Both of their hearts needed mending for different things. As far as she could tell, Adalynn was afraid to trust him again and Dean was afraid of the one word that most men are afraid of. Love.

"I'm sorry that things didn't work out." Addy apologized.

"Don't apologize for that. Shit happens and all we can do is move on."

Dean gave her a half smile and continued on through the doors. Adalynn stood frozen. She hated when she could see through his lies. He really was a horrible liar, even back then she could see through them. Another rumble of thunder snapped her out of her thoughts. A flash of lightning alerted her to the storm that was making its way to the city.

There was only one person she wanted to talk to before the show started and that was Renee Young. Turning heel, she stormed into the building. Walking straight passed Dean. He could see the angered look upon her face and knew that there was a purpose to her fast pace towards the woman's locker-room.

Shoving the door open with authority, she scanned the room for the certain blonde woman that had the nerve to leave a good man for no good reason. Adalynn spotted her talking to Naomi and Brie Bella in the far corner. "Hey Renee, can I have a word?" She asked approaching the small get together.

"I have nothing to say to you." She replied and continued her conversation.

"Oh I think you do. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Naomi and Brie took their leave, realizing that the conversation was about to get ugly fast. Neither woman knew Adalynn well. All they knew what that she had a history with Dean Ambrose and was good friends with Natalya.

Renee saw the anger in the tanned woman's face. Her lush green eyes sparkled with the emotions. She turned to face her, wondering what she could possibly have to say to her that would be worth listening to. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied.

"Why would you just leave him for no reason?"

"That's not really any of your business; but if you really want to know. It was because of you."

Adalynn already knew that and that's what hurt the most. She reached out and took a firm hold of Renee's arm. Natalya wanted to interfere with the outburst; but knew that it wasn't her place. Dean was the only one that could involve himself and set everything the way it should be. Following the other divas out of the locker-room, she left to find him.

"I gave you my blessing. What more did you want?" Adalynn asked on the verge of tears.

"You out of his life completely; because ever since you came back into it, you are all he thinks about."

"We were friends and hadn't seen each other in a decade. He was bound to think about our past."

Renee nodded her head understanding what Adalynn was telling her; but it changed nothing. There was always going to be a connection between them that could never be broken by someone else. She jerked her arm out of Addy's grasp. "How did you do it?" She asked in clenched teeth.

"Do what?"

"Suck him into your world. How did you turn him into your savior?"

"She didn't turn me into anything." Dean interrupted.

Both women turned to see him standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. The disappointment was clearly evident on his face. Adalynn knew that she had crossed a line that broke one promise that she had made to him years ago. The promise that she'd never involve herself in his relationships unless asked to.

"Dean...I..." Adalynn stated by was quickly silenced when his hand raised up.

"Don't. Renee, I'm sorry. She should never have said anything to you."

"It's fine. I can understand her wanting to protect you."

Addy didn't want to hear anymore of the conversation. She knew exactly where it would lead. Without a second thought, she rushed out of the locker-room and leaned against the wall. No matter what she did, it was never good enough. Her mother's words were starting to echo inside her mind over and over again. _**"You will never amount to anything."**_

"Addy..." Dean called.

"I'm sorry. I know I broke the one promise we made."

He smiled and let out a chuckle, remembering the tiny promise they did make. Things were bigger than that now. They were older now. "That doesn't matter. I knew you thought the reason she left me was because of you..."

"Well wasn't it?"

"Not entirely. It was also because of me."

She didn't understand. The only thing she understood was that he lost a relationship because of her. That's how it always seemed to happen or at least that's how it was back in high school. He took several steps closer to her, staring at her straight in the eyes. The eyes he loved so much. "Addy, I'm not going to be with someone that can't understand that our friendship means the world to me."

"Odio cuando haces eso (I hate when you do that.)"

Dean laughed again knowing that he had pinned her into a corner. She only resorted in using Spanish as a language when she didn't want her words to be understood by him. He remembered when she told him that her father was the reason why she knew Spanish in the first place. Her father was of Latino decent. Thus making her half Latino. Little did she know, he made the time to study a little himself so he could understand some of the things she said.

"So why do you hate when I do that?" He asked with a smile.

"How did you..."

"Learn to understand Spanish?" He interrupted.

He leaned in even further to her face so that his lips were only inches away from hers. Adalynn's heart began to race. It felt like it could burst through her chest at any moment and run away. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering uncontrollably. Never once did he attempt to get this close to her lips before. She questioned his logic and his mentality.

"I learned because I wanted to understand everything you told me when you knew I couldn't understand you."

"Fair enough; but I bet you can't recall everything I told back then."

Her smile returned as she winked, taunting him, knowing full well that there was no possible way to recall everything. Just like she knew that there was no way that he knew every word in Spanish like she did. "Is that a challenge?" He asked taking a step further, backing her up against the wall. His hand slid down her arm and rested on her hip bone.

"Maybe..."

"Alright, maybe I will take you up on that."

His voice was coated with a certain husky lusty tone to it that she knew all too well. It was the voice he used when he wanted to sway someone to his will. He never had to use the voice with her before because he knew that she'd do anything for him. She felt his thumb brush up against the skin of her bare stomach. The simple touch sent shivers up her spine to the point that it was making her head spin. "I need to get ready for tonight..." She whispered.

"Right. Sorry. I'll...uh...see you out there."

"Yeah..."

Dean moved away from her. He came so close to kissing her. Her lips were calling to him like a Siren to a lost sailor. Was this what Renee meant when she said that he needed to sort out his feelings? Did he really have feelings for his best friend? Those were questions that he really needed to figure out and soon, before he went insane with all the thoughts of all the what ifs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: Thanks goes to wwemicky, and Zombie450AriesBournePrincess for the reviews. Thanks goes to angelsdee327 and Onule for becoming followers of this story. I'm not going to lie and say that this story has been easy to write, cause it most certainly hasn't. I don't plan on giving up on it, despite my frustration with it. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter.**

Chapter 7: Reforming The Connection

Adalynn quickly walked into the locker-room and was greeted by several harsh stares by the other divas. Naomi, Brie Bella, and AJ Lee cornered her before she could even step two feet into the room. They really had no idea what was going on. The only thing they knew was their friend was upset with the current events. "You really have some nerve, don't you?" Brie asked.

"Look, I understand why you are upset. I shouldn't have confronted her." Addy explained.

"No, we understand; but what you don't understand is that they were perfectly happy before you showed up." Naomi countered.

Adalynn's heart sunk. She knew exactly where the conversation was going. They didn't want her there, despite her talents in the ring. Their friendship with Renee was more important than giving her a chance to prove herself to them. That was how her entire life had run. "Back off!" Natalya interrupted.

The talented blonde continued forward, stepping in between Adalynn and the three women criticizing her. Usually she wouldn't interfere with her friend's problems; but it was three on one. She felt like she needed to even the odds, at least a little. Brie wasn't surprised to see her. They were always together. "This doesn't concern you, Nattie." Brie stated harshly.

"But you decide to gang up on the new girl just because Renee is insecure. That's pretty childish of all of you." Natalya replied.

Adalynn held her hand out to prevent Natalya from saying anything else. It was time for her to actually stand up for herself. Dean wasn't going to save her like he had all those years ago and she didn't want her best friend getting involved in things that were her own problem. "I gave them my blessing when I first met her. There really wasn't anything else I could do." Adalynn continued.

Brie looked at Naomi and AJ. Renee had neglected to tell them exactly happened or exactly what was said. All three of them felt bad for jumping down her throat about something they should have made sure they knew everything about. "She didn't tell you that part, did she?" Natalya asked.

"No...she didn't..." AJ answered.

Adalynn felt off with the whole situation. She never let her emotions get the better of her; but since Dean's brash behavior just minutes before hand, it had her heart in all kinds of turmoil. Sometimes she wished that she hadn't come to the WWE; but there was also a part of her that didn't give a damn about what other people thought.

"Adalynn, we're sorry that we jumped at you." Naomi apologized.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't really know what happened." She replied.

A smile inched to her lips. She really couldn't hold anything against them. She also had a feeling that they were just trying to protect Renee from further heartache. It was something they all had in common. Watching them walk away, there was a certain sense of relief was over her. "Are you okay?" Natalya asked.

"I'm fine..."

"Are you sure?"

Adalynn looked up from her bag and gave her a look, a fake look, that convinced her that she was fine. Only she knew that everything that happened hurt. Digging into her bag she found the script for that night's show. She hadn't had the chance to read over it yet. Unfolding the bundle of papers, she skimmed the writing to the section that involved her. "I finally get to do something tonight." She whispered to herself with a smile.

Dean sat in his locker-room mentally preparing for the show. He didn't bother denying the fact that Adalynn invaded his thoughts more and more with each time they crossed paths. He enjoyed the fact that he had gained the upper hand in the meaningless battle with each other; but he didn't want to admit that those words were the only ones he knew in Spanish. It was because she used to say those all the time when he did or said something nice to her.

"So are you going to tell me what the hell happened?" Seth asked coming into the room.

"What do you mean?"

"Renee?"

"She broke up with me. There is nothing to talk about."

Seth wasn't buying that story. He knew his friend better than most others within the company. Dean sat down knowing that he wasn't going to get away with avoiding his questions. He thought that maybe he should confine in the someone with his feelings since he couldn't come right out and tell Adalynn anything. "I really don't believe that. You know that right."

"I really don't want to talk about this. Renee is sweet; but she's pushy, gets jealousy way too easy, and very insecure. It's not what I want in a woman."

"I get that."

"I know you want to blame Adalynn; but she's not to blame. She's the only thing that seems real anymore. The last ten years without her around seems like a dream; but now that she's here, I know that I could never walk away from her again."

Seth smiled. He knew those feelings all too well. His had felt those things once before and he could never forget how it made him feel. Although, Dean situation was quite different. Adalynn was his friend. A friend he had through high school. There was a line between friendship and lover that most times shouldn't be crossed for the sake of a good friendship. He watched Dean stand up and shrugged everything he just said off. He regained his mentality of his character rather quickly.

"It's time for the show." He stated before walking away.

"Maybe you should tell her everything." Seth called out.

"You know that I can't...I don't want to loose her completely."

**Smackdown**

Wade Barrett and Paige stood in the middle of the ring awaiting his opponent for the evening in Dean Ambrose. Michael Cole and JBL replayed the events of Monday Night Raw. The appearance of Adalynn Rae that night was a question. They wanted to know exactly why she was there and why Dean suddenly would calm down at the sight of her.

'Retaliation' started up and the crowd was immediately to their feet cheering. Dean walked out with his well-known swagger to his step. His fitted jeans made almost every woman in the audience swoon over his figure. His brown shaggy hair was dripping with water. The droplets rolled down his chest and the appearance of it made Paige slightly uneasy around him.

The commentators made a comment that Dean had come out alone. Adalynn was not present at all. Paige seemed to be relieved by the fact as she stepped out of the ring to allow her boyfriend the proper space to work. She leaned against the apron, watching intently at the two men locked up in the center.

Dean got the upper hand at first; but the longer the match went on the more Wade started to gain control. It was then that Adalynn started her walk down the ramp. Paige looked up from the action to see the former NXT diva make her way towards the ring dressed in a pair of light colored jeans and a pink cami.

Just the sight of her brought energy to Dean and he planted Wade with a DDT. Paige placed her hand on her head out of concern and frustration that the match hadn't ended yet. She climbed up onto the apron, screaming at Dean. He just stared at her for a moment. Waiting. Adalynn was quickly on the other side pulling her down by the black locks of her hair.

"What the hell!" Paige yelled and slapped Adalynn across the face.

The action jerked her head to the side; but it was quickly met by her own slap to Paige. A smile coated her perfect lips as she tackled Paige to the floor. Wade was distracted by the fight on the outside that he forgot about Dean. He grabbed him and delivered 'Dirty Deeds'. The referee counted the three and signaled for the bell to end the match.

"Here is your winner, Dean Ambrose." Lilian announced.

Adalynn allowed Paige to crawl away with a laugh. The Diva's Champion pulled her lover out of the ring and helped him up the ramp. Dean stood in the ring with his arm raised. He had just pinned the Intercontinental Champion was right in the running for a title shot. As he lowered his arm, he turned his attention to the woman on the outside of the ring.

She winked at him before walking away. Michael Cole stated his confusion about the situation; but JBL seemed to think that it was a plan-hard-to-get tactic. The two argued about their thoughts before the show went off air for a commercial.

**After The Show**

Natalya found her friend packing her things into her travel back. Her hair was slightly pulled back in a loose ponytail. She reached out to touch her shoulder. Adalynn was hesitant in turning around to face her, because of the stray tears that coated her lashes. "Addy?" She asked out of concern.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About what? You seem really upset."

Adalynn finished putting her things inside the bag and fully turned around to face her best friend. She hated to admit why she had been crying. It was a part of her life that she wanted to forget and sometimes just couldn't. "I doing my part out there tonight and Paige got my shirt up a little bit. There is a scar on my left side that I wish wasn't there."

"Honey, there is no need to be upset over that. A scar is a scar. We all have them."

"Not this kind. This was given to me by my mother..."

Natalya's eyes widened a little by her response. She mentally questioned what kind of mother would give their daughter a scar. Adalynn lifted her shirt slightly to show the mark she hated so much. An inch long white scar blemished her tanned skin right above her left hip bone. She couldn't help but pull the saddened woman into an embrace. There was still so much of her past that she didn't know about and didn't know if she'd ever know about it.

"It's okay. I'm here for you. Your mom can't hurt you anymore. You're safe. I promise you that."

"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."

A knock on the door interrupted the moment between the friends. Natalya let go of Adalynn to reach the door while the other woman wiped her eyes away from the tears. Once she opened the door, she was greeted by Dean. "Hey, is Addy in there?" He asked.

"Yeah, give me a moment and I'll send her out."

He nodded and waited patiently outside the room. Addy looked up to meet Nattie's gaze. There was a hint of a smile behind her emotionless expression. Dean wanting to talk to her friend was either a good thing or a really bad thing. She couldn't decide which it was as of yet. "Dean, is outside. He want to talk to you."

"Okay..."

"You don't have to if you're not feeling up to it. I'll just tell him to go away."

"No no, it's fine. I'll talk to him."

She lifted the handle to her bag and pulled it behind her as she walked. Natalya gave her a half hug before she lost sight of her. Adalynn's green eyes met Dean's blue ones for a moment before she caved and smiled. He always brought such joy to her life. He was the one thing that kept her going through all the hard times.

"Hey." Dean greeted

"Hey..."

"Has Stephanie talked to yet?"

"No. Why?"

His question alarmed her. She wanted to know what she had told him. Was it about the storyline? Or was it something else about her? There was so many questions floating inside her head. There was one in particular that she hoped wasn't it. Was she not good enough to be on the main roster? "It looks like she wants to keep us together on screen for an extended period of time. You're performance tonight really blew her away so to speak." He explained.

"I only battled a little with Paige and winked at you. How is that blown away performance?"

"It's you. The connection is believable and real in her eyes. That's what she wanted to see."

It made her smile to hear those words; but what Stephanie didn't know was that the connection was very real to her. Her heart was racing then just as it was in that present moment standing a foot away from him. She lowered her head to hide that fact that her cheeks were burning with a blush of embarrassment. "Bueno, la conexión es real. (Well the connection is real.)" She whispered.

He had no idea what she had just said to him; but he didn't want to let her know that he didn't know. It was something she was obviously trying to hide. Instead of saying a word, he reached out and cupped her cheek with his palm. She lifted her head up to meet his gaze. Just looking into his eyes, made it easy to loose herself in them. "Addy, I don't want you to ever think you can't trust me. Or come to me when you have a problem."

"How is our storyline going to progress?" She asked changing the subject quickly.

It didn't take him long to catch on the fact that she didn't want to talk about trust with him. He did leave her without saying a word right when she needed him most. That is something that is going to take some time to heal from and he completely understood that. He refused to drop his hand away from her cheek. The warmth of her skin was intoxicating and he enjoyed the feel of under his own palm. "It will develop further."

"How much further?"

"I don't know for sure; but the way she talked its going to be an onscreen romance."

That was what she was afraid of. She didn't know if she could do that. The mindless flirting was one thing; but full on kissing was another. Her heart felt like it was going to explode from beating so fast. Dean noticed the color in her skin fade and the heaving of her chest for breaths of air. There was something bothering her with the knowledge of a possible onscreen romance. "Is there something wrong?" He asked softly hoping to get an English answer out of her.

"I don't know if I can do that..."

"Why? Because of the possibility of kissing?"

"We are friends...I just...I just don't know if my heart can handle that."

"What are you saying?"

She quickly pulled away from him. Not wanting to answer him. She almost admitted to her feelings and he most definitely caught her slip up. Adalynn knew that she needed to get away from him before her control faltered and she kissed him right then and there. "Addy, come on talk to me." Dean pleaded reaching back out to her.

"No puedo hacerlo, porque me preocupo demasiado para usted ya. (I can't do it, because I care too much for you already.)" She stated loudly and started to walk away.

Dean remained firm in his place. He wasn't going to push her to talk to him if she didn't want to; but he was determined to find out exactly what she said to him in Spanish. He remembered the gist of what was said to him. Typing the first statement into his phones translator. It revealed along the lines of the connection being real. "Dean?" Natalya stated coming out of the woman's locker-room.

"Hang on. I translating something." He replied.

Typing the fragments of what he remembered of the second phrase, it revealed that she cared too much for him already. He suddenly realized why she was pushing him away. She was afraid to cross the friendship line and the fact that he abandoned her ten years ago was also a factor in her hesitation. "What were you translating?" Nattie asked.

"Something Addy said in Spanish before she took off."

"I have noticed that she does that when she wants to hide something. Did you figure it out?"

"Yeah...and I need your help."

She lifted an eyebrow in confusion. She wondered what he would need her help for. Something didn't sit well with her about the whole thing. "What do you need my help with?" She asked softly.

"Convince her to go out tonight."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note: Thanks to darkestdaysbrowneyes, seetherfan77, TheEighthDeadlySin, HardcoreAmbroseGal89, and Jessipage for becoming followers to this story. Thanks also goes darkestdaysbrowneyes, wwemicky, Carol Reigns, Zombie450AriesBournePrincess, and Leasha Orton for the wonderful reviews. Well my latest story 'Made of Lies' came to an end. Although its sad to see it end, I welcome the challenge of this story. All I can really hope for is that this one will be just as good.**

Chapter 8: Adalynn's Fear

Natalya really didn't understand what having Adalynn going out would change. She was obviously afraid to trust Dean again after what had happen on that day a decade ago. It wasn't just the trust that her friend seemed to be afraid of. It was also her growing feelings for him. "Dean, I don't know if that's such a good idea." She protested.

"Nattie, please. I need you to do this for me. I have to prove to her that she can trust me again."

"And going out will help with that, I seriously doubt that. Listen, she's just scared about the role."

Dean ran a hand through his wet hair. Naturally, the woman in front of him would know more about Adalynn than he did now. He wondered what happened to the letter he had written her. He thought that maybe it was time to call home and ask. "I've never seen her this way before. Addy never used to be afraid of anything, except what people thought of her and her own mother. A role like this one would have never scared her."

Natalya reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. She wanted to comfort his inner turmoil of the situation at hand. He hadn't been in her life for a long time and she could see the frustration of that fact in his eyes. "I'll get her to come out; but you really need to comfort her. I...I really shouldn't be telling you this; but I think you should know."

"Tell me what?"

"Tonight during that little battle with Paige, her top got lifted a little. There is a scar on her left side above her hip bone that causes her much sadness."

She didn't need to give her much detail for him to know how she had gotten it or when she had received it. He partially blamed himself for not being there when Adalynn needed him; but he mostly blamed her mother for even thinking that it was okay to do harm to her own flesh and blood. Closing his eyes, he remembered all the bruises she came to school with and all the lies she told when asked. "You don't need to tell me anything else. I pretty much can venture a guess as to how she got it."

Natalya knew things were complicated not only in the past; but even in the present. She pulled out her phone and quickly messaged Adalynn, holding up her end of the deal. Before she could say anything else, Dean walked away. "If only you knew how much she cares for you..." She whispered as she stepped back into the woman's locker-room.

Adalynn sat in the driver's seat of her rental. There she stared out the windshield with one hand on the scar and the other hand on her chest. The beating of her heart continued to race uncontrollably. Becoming a WWE Diva has always been a dream of hers from the time she starting watching; but now she questioned it. How could they expect her to just act out a romance with a man she once called her best friend? "Why are you so scared?" She asked herself.

She honestly didn't have an answer to her own question. There were so many things that could have contributed to the fear. One of which was the her own inner desire to want to act it out, because it gave her the opportunity to be close with him. Her fingers traced the blemished skin of the scar on her left side. The feeling of the knife tearing into her flesh came flooding back to her mind.

Shaking her head violently, tears scattered across the seats and landed on the windows. She wasn't going to let the woman win. Deep down, she wanted to stay strong and survive the inner demons that were crawling their way up to the surface. In that moment, her phone vibrated against the center console. _**"Come out tonight! I think you could use a couple drinks."**_ The message read.

"_**Where at?" **_She typed and immediately hit the send button.

"_**ATB the club by the hotel."**_

Addy hesitated in the reply. Did she even want to go out? She didn't see the harm in it after all her heart and mind had gone through over the last two days. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to try and block it all out for a night. _**"Okay, I'll be there."**_ She typed and returned the message.

Her hand gripped the steering wheel tightly before turning the key to start the ignition. The quiet hum of the engine calmed her. The warm Florida air blew through the open window, whipping her hair from side to side. The GPS above the stereo directed her in the right path to the club she'd be meeting her best friend.

Images of the conversations between herself and Dean flashed before her eyes. His beautiful blue eyes almost seemed like they were pleading with her to continue the role Stephanie had given her; but she guessed the he would know how she was before the absence from her life. Back then, she really wasn't afraid to do anything and that was including something like that.

**ATP Night Club**

Pulling into the large parking lot. The line was clear out the door. Rolling her eyes, she got out of the vehicle. She wondered how Natalya could pretty much convince her to do whatever she wanted. The sound of the music echoed outside the city streets. Scanning the large line, she spotted Nattie waving at her. Letting out a sigh, she smiled and made her way towards her. "So why are we going out tonight?" Adalynn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"To toast another successful night at work for you. You've done so well." Natalya replied coming up with a quick response as to why they were there, even though she knew it was a total lie.

"There really is no need to celebrate that."

Addy stopped when Nattie's hand came up to stop her negativity. She should have known that was coming. She always cut her off when she talked down about herself or when the frustration set in on something she couldn't get right in the ring. A smile tugged at her lips, realizing that the woman before her was the best friend she could ever ask for.

She reached out and lowered her hand away from her lips. The line continued to move right along until it was their turn. The bouncer took their money and wrote their names down. Inside, the music pounded against their chests. They took note where the bar was located and instantly walked in its direction.

Natalya ordered the drinks and quickly sent a text to Dean indicating that she was there. The rest was up to him. Taking a sip from the straw in her cup, she looked over the balcony to the lower floor. There were so many people in such a small space. Everyone seemed right up against each other as they danced without a care in the world.

The lights from the stage flashed in all colors imaginable. The club scene had never been one of her favorite places to go; but all she could think about was helping Adalynn and Dean come to an understanding about the script; but it was mostly because she wanted to help them be what they once were.

"Hey, are you okay? You're starting to look like me now." Adalynn asked.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about you."

"What about me?"

She didn't know how to explain her thoughts the proper way without upsetting her. How could she tell her that she thought Dean was meant for her? He was put back into her life for a reason and it wasn't to be left behind again. "Addy...I think you should continue the script."

"Did he put you up to this?"

"No. I just think you pushing him away will make things harder on yourself considering...

"Considering what?"

"You have feelings for him and you know damn well that you do."

The anger was boiling within Adalynn. She felt like she was part of an intervention. Natalya turned around to face the anger she knew that she'd see; but it wasn't just anger she saw, she also saw sadness. "I ruined a perfectly good relationship between him and Renee just coming to the main roster. How the hell am I supposed to feel about that? I'm not just going to say hey I'm sorry I ruined your relationship with Renee, can we start over?" She snapped expressing all the pent up frustration with Dean's situation with Renee Young.

"You didn't ruin anything, Addy." Dean's voice interrupted.

Just the sound of his voice awakened all the suppressed feelings she had for him. Her heart instantly started to race before she could even turn around to look at him. He was dressed in dark colored form fitting jeans and a black t-shirt. A small silver chair accented around his neck, sparkling against the lighting within the building. His brown hair was brushed down; but still left a part of his shaggy look. A perfect contrast to his blue eyes.

"You can say that all you want; but you know that I did." Adalynn replied to Dean's statement of interruption.

Natalya watched as he closed the small distance between them. She could see the nervous look on her face. A smile came to her face the second Dean smiled at her. There was nothing but raw emotion burning in his gaze. How could anyone deny the fact that there was chemistry between them she didn't know; but to see it first hand was a beautiful sight.

"Addy, you need to understand that Renee chose to do what she did. She may have blamed you; but it was more about me than anything else. You are not at fault for any of it."

"If I'm not at fault then why would it be about you? You were nothing but sweet to her."

He laughed at her ability to be complete naive to things around her. It really was amazing to see that she had really no idea that his feelings for her were to blame for the break up. She crossed her arms over her chest, completely annoyed by his lack of answers to her question. "I didn't come here to argue with you. I came here to ask you to reconsider the script. It's a chance to get back what we lost all those years ago."

"Dean...I...I just..."

"Why are you wasting your time with her? She's obviously afraid to do her own job." Renee stating approaching the small group.

Natalya frowned at the interruption. Adalynn was close to admitting something before the blonde ruined the progress. Addy felt the words escape her mouth and the harsh stare she was getting made her want to go back to NXT where she knew that she was wanted. "This conversation doesn't involve you, Renee." Dean stated turning his attention away from her.

"Come on Adalynn, admit it. You are afraid. I saw the fear in your eyes tonight."

She lowered her hand to her left side, on top of the scar that plagued her consciousness for years. Dean knew that Renee's words were a jab personally about the fear of the scar on her skin. Adalynn narrowed her eyes. "You know nothing. I'm not afraid of anything. Dean, I'll continue the script as planned." She replied and started to walk away.

The night definitely didn't go the way he had hoped. He wanted to tell her everything; but with Renee's interruption he knew that he couldn't express anything. Adalynn would never believe any of it until he regained her trust. Natalya placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before following her pissed off friend.

Dean turned to face Renee. There was a hint of a smile on her lips. She was obviously proud of herself to get the reaction she wanted. "You really are not the woman I thought you were. Taking such a personal jab at her just now was repulsive." He stated.

"There is nothing I said that wasn't true. She is afraid to be involved with you onscreen."

"So what. Do you really think that matters to me? I just don't want her to give up on her dream just because of a stupid onscreen romance."

Renee sneered at the thoughts of the romance possibly developing into a reality. She knew that they had a connection from the past; but it has yet to be seen in the present or even in the future. Dean turned his back on her and proceeded towards the exit. The fact that he wanted nothing to do with her hurt; but she was bound and determined to make him see the light. That he was really meant to be with her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author Note: Thanks goes to CarolReigns, wwemicky, and Zombie450AriesBournePrincess for the reviews. Thanks also goes to alliebear85, Alterbelle, and Sammie94 for becoming followers to this story. I apologize for the lack of update. My son just started kindergarden and I was adjusted to that and helping him adjust as well. I hope I didn't loose any readers due to the lapse in chapters.**

Chapter 9: Expression

Adalynn ran down the sidewalk towards her rental vehicle parked in the lot across the street. Her hair flowed through the air, causing a messing disarray of her lush locks of milk chocolate. Her chest heaved with the motion of catching her breath. She couldn't believe the anger she felt towards Renee. It had been so long since she felt that kind of anger. It reminded her of the days spent in high school when all the other classmates took personal jabs at her day in and day out just to see her reactions.

Looking down at her hands, they were shaking with adrenaline. Leaning against the cool metal of the vehicle, she closed her eyes and mentally began telling herself to calm down. The pounding of her heart could be heard inside her own ears. It was painful to feel. It was weird to feel all those emotions again; but she also feared that maybe it would send her straight into a panic attack.

"Addy!" Natalya called.

"Nattie..." She whispered slowly turning around.

The moment Natalya laid eyes on the distraught woman before her, she knew there was something wrong. Her eyes were dilated and her body was trembling. It almost resembled a crash from a drug addiction; but she knew that Addy was no drug addict. "Calm down, everything is just fine. I'm sorry, I didn't know she'd be there."

"I don't know why I feel so much anger right now. It's not like she said anything that bad to me."

Natalya reached out and embraced her. The feeling of her trembling was gut retching. Slowly the shaking diminished and Adalynn pulled away to wipe her eyes away from the stray tears. "You know its perfectly okay to feel anger towards her. She pretty much insulted your integrity."

"She's not entirely wrong. I was kind of afraid to continue working with him; but not because of the storyline in general but because I was afraid to admit that I..."

Her words trailed off at the sight of a man raising his hand towards the young woman beside him. The second his hand struck her across the face, she flinched. Natalya turned to see what she was watching and was horrified by the what was in her vision. His screams were repulsive and he was obviously drunk.

The woman held the side of her face with a heartbroken expression displayed for him to see. Adalynn's hands clenched into tight fists at her side. Everything she was witnessing brought back all the memories of the beatings she had taken by her mother in a drunken fury. Natalya could only realize that her best friend had some inner demons that still caused havoc on her everyday life.

"Hey why don't you back off!" Dean's voice shouted as he took hold of the man's shoulder.

"Dean?" Adalynn whispered and almost instantly ran back across the street.

"Adalynn, what are you doing?" Natalya asked yelling loud enough for her to hear.

The drunk man turned his attention towards Dean. Adalynn quickly took hold of the sobbing woman by the arm and escorted her several feet away. She knew the look on her face all too well. It was like looking in the mirror. Natalya got into her car quickly and called for the police before driving away. "Are you okay?" She asked softly so as not to upset her further.

"I...I don't know what happened?" The woman replied.

"Why don't you mind your own business. This doesn't concern you." The man shouted in a drunken slur of words.

"You just slapped your woman in the face. Do you really think she deserved that? What did she do? Cut you off?" Dean asked almost in a taunting fashion.

Adalynn watched as the woman placed her hand up to the cheek where she had been struck. There was an obvious red mark that would probably bruise within the next coming days. She also watched as Dean tried to calm the man down from his state of rage. "Take my advice, don't stay with him. Once a hitter always a hitter."

"I know; but I love him..."

Lifting the hem of her shirt, Adalynn revealed the scar she had as a reminder of the past she desperately wanted to forget. Dean noticed the tanned skin and his eyes shifted away from who was in front of him to see what was going on behind him. The woman saw the white scar right above her left hipbone. "If you don't get away soon, stuff like this will follow. I'm actually lucky to be alive right now."

"Did someone you love give that to you?"

"My mom did...yes..."

Hearing the words only further made the guilt set in within Dean. The police arrived moments later, asking questions. The tear stricken woman looked to Adalynn for encouragement. A warm smile appeared on her lips as she reached out to touch her shoulder. She might be a complete stranger; but she was glad that she could give some much needed advice.

Dean glanced in her direction and she in his. They held the look for several moments before she attempted to walk back across the street towards her rental. He moved around the police officer and weaved through the growing crowd of nosy people. A gust a balmy wind blew across his cheeks alerting him to a pending storm approaching their direction.

"Addy wait!" He shouted just as she reached her vehicle.

She stopped and turned in his direction. The sweat was starting form along her skin. The humidity in the air was suffocating the breathable air. She was starting to feel clammy and uncomfortable. "Why did you help that woman?" He asked.

"Why did you step in? I helped because I know what it's like to be hit by someone you love."

He took several steps closer to her. She stood firm in her place, waiting to see what he was going to do next. She was curious to hear his reasons for stepping in when he really had no business to. His hand slowly reached out to lightly touch her left side. The side he knew held the scar that was the center of all her fear. "If I had any idea your mom was going to do that to you, I wouldn't have left." He stated.

"It's the past, Dean. I just want to forget about it."

"Sounds like you want to forget everything for the past, including me."

His words stung. She didn't understand where he would get that idea. There was no way that she could forget him, even if she had wanted to. He was always in her mind and in her heart, coursed through her veins like blood. There was no erasing him for her life. "That's not true. I could never forget you." She protested reaching her hand behind her to open her car door.

"Then why are you running. Why do you always run from me?"

"I do not."

"Like hell you don't. What are you doing now with your car door open? Oh that's right, running!"

He was getting under skin in more than one way. Calling her out on her attempts to escape the conversation, made her irritated; but his attempts to get closer were a welcoming desire that made her body tingle in places she thought were dead. She let out an annoyed breath of air and turned away from him.

Dean pushed the door shut just as she moved to get inside. She swiftly turned back around in a fury. "You damn near shut my fingers in the door. What the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled pushing him back a step. It annoyed her even further when she saw the smile on his lips. He had gotten the reaction he wanted.

"What the hell are you smiling about?" She asked again.

"You are so beautiful when your mad, you know that."

The compliment caught her off guard. She never expected him to say such words to her face in that fashion. Cool sprinkles of water started to trickle down from the sky. It was going to pour down upon them if they didn't get shelter soon. "We should probably leave, it's going to rain any moment." She stated trying to change the subject.

"Are you going to talk to me if we leave?" He asked.

A sigh escaped her lips and he knew that answer was going to be 'no'. She was more stubborn that he first thought. He reached out to take her hand. Her warm skin sent shivers up his spine. His thumb brushed across her knuckles back and forth. "I just want to know why you keep running from me."

"I'm not running. I'm just afraid of myself."

Taking in her words, the sprinkles of rain turned into a full blown shower. Water rolled down Adalynn's face and dripped down her chest. Dean took another step closer to her. The water soaking their clothes the longer they stood there. Her heart started to pound against her chest the closer he got to her. "There is no reason for you to be afraid of yourself, you know that right?" He whispered.

"Oh, sí existe. Mi corazón se acelera justo a la vista de usted. (Oh yes there is. My heart races just at the sight of you.)"

Dean leaned in closer to her lips, knowing that she was speaking Spanish because she wanted to hide her words from him. Her green eyes lured him in to his inner desire to kiss her lips. He was also curious as to what she had just spoken. "Addy, please tell me what you just said. I know you want to hide it; but I think I deserve to know."

"I thought you knew how to speak Spanish."

"Only a few words. I didn't understand any of that."

She lifted his hand up to her chest and placed his palm upon it, hoping he'd feel the rapid beating of her heart. The feeling of the accelerated beating surprised him. He wondered if she felt the same things he did when they were together. "This is what you do to me and it scares me like hell. It goes against everything I believe in."

"Addy...there is nothing wrong with how you're feeling, because you do the same to me."

He shifted their hands and moved her hand to his chest. The feeling of his beating heart in the same predicament as her own seemed to calm her at least a little bit. Her body was becoming chilled and she started to shiver. "I don't know what else you want me to say. I don't know how we ended up this way. Our hearts shouldn't race like they do for each other."

"For once in your life, shut up and embrace it."

"Excuse me?"

The second she looked up at him was when his lips crashed down upon hers. The flood of emotions broke down every wall within her resistance. He slowly pushed her back up against the door of her rental. His hand slid down her arm while the other slide up to cup the side of her face. The feeling of her lips was intoxicating and he wanted more of them.

Her mind was swirling with fog. She didn't know whether or not to enjoy the feeling or fight against it. He was her best friend from the past. The one solid thing in an entire life of chaos. He had saved her so many times from their classmates cruel words and pranks; but when his tongue attempted to slip between her lips, she bolted away. Severing the connection of their lips.

"Addy?"

"Dean...you just..."

"Kissed you? Yeah, I've been wanting to for a long time."

She shook her head, trying to make sense of everything inside her mind. He reached out to take the keys from her hand. With a smile upon his face, he walked toward the drivers seat. "Get in, I'll drive. I think there is some things we should talk about." He stated and pulled the door shut.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Note: Wow! The amount of reviews I received last chapter blew me away. Thanks goes to Lilygirl95, wwemickey, NESSACALIME6913, Brittney (Guest), BlushingWAY2Hard(Guest), Sammie94, CarolReigns, Imagineer1392, and Zombie450AriesBournePrincess for the awesome reveiws. Thanks also goes to Imagineer1392, Ashes2Dust18, HardyxLover, and rockerbaby95 for becoming followers of this story. **

** I'm going to say that is is probably to most emotional chapter so far.**

Chapter 10: Nothing But The Truth

Adalynn leaned her head against the cool glass of the passenger window. She refused to speak after the kiss she had just shared with Dean in the middle of the parking lot. In the rain, no less. In her mind that was one of the most romantic kiss settings ever. Her head hurt with the thousands of thoughts running through it.

Among the thoughts, was the woman she pulled away from an abusive situation. She reminded her so much of herself. The denial and innocent stage of shock. The poor thing couldn't have been any older than twenty-five.

Dean tried to catch glances of her at every red light or stop sign. He really wanted her to talk to him. Tell him everything that was on her mind; but he wasn't going to push her. He knew after years of knowing her that pushing only made things worse. It made her cower further within herself. Everything about the kiss was just how he envisioned it to be. She was just perfect in every sense of the word. He lost count the amount of times he caught himself wanting to kiss her over the years and now that he had, he definitely didn't want to lose her for any reason.

"Addy..." He stated softly hoping she'd answer.

"Yeah..."

"What's on your mind? You've been quiet the whole trip."

She continued to stare out the window as he pulled into the parking garage of the hotel they would staying in. She honestly didn't know where to start if she tried to tell him everything that was running through her mind at a million miles a minute. When the vehicle came to a stop, she knew that there was nowhere else to escape to. "There is so much on my mind, Dean." She replied unbuckling her seat belt.

He watched as she quickly took her bags out the backseat and started towards the lobby entrance. Following her, he began thinking about what to say to her. He wanted her to understand that he wasn't ever going to leave her again. He wanted to prove that his feelings for her were genuine; but he just didn't know how to do that.

"Addy, please talk to me." He pleaded just as they got to the elevator.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

The doors shut and lifted the enclosed space to the third floor. Dean reached for her arm, tracing lines across her skin with his fingertips. His touch heated her body and it betrayed her better judgment. She enjoyed his touch despite it going against her beliefs to not cross the friendship line. "You can't tell me that you didn't feel something when I kissed you." He whispered.

His warm breath brushed against her already heated skin. The lust coated tone in his voice awakened the deeper parts of her desire that she desperately wanted to keep hidden. If she crossed that line now, there was no guarantee that it would last and she'd lose the closest friend she ever had. "I did and that's the problem." She replied and slipped passed him to exit the space.

Dean followed her to the door she quickly unlocked as her own. She turned hesitated in walking inside. Taking a deep breathe, she turned to face him. He could see the fear swirling in her leaf green eyes. It wasn't just the kiss that was bothering her and he knew it. He could just tell that there were some inner demons that he would have to help her deal with if he was ever going to have a chance with her.

"Dean...I'm...I'm just afraid..."

"There is no need to be afraid. I'm not going anywhere."

"I just don't want to loose you if we cross this line. There is no going back you realize that, right?"

He took another step closer to her. Cupping her cheek in his palm, he stared straight into her eyes. His heart was beating so fast he thought it would actually burst through his chest. Adalynn blinked a couple times and stepped back away from him. "You really need to understand that I'm not the same person you knew. I've changed a lot since you left."

"I know that; but it's still you and everything about you draws me in. I want to help you get through these inner demons you seem to have."

"That may never happen. What she did to me probably will always stay with me."

Lowering his hand away from her, he took a step away. She was pushing him away once again and there was no point in pushing further. He knew how she'd react if he did. What he really wanted to know was what exactly her mother did to her.

Adalynn noticed him stepping away from her. She didn't understand why he was backing away. Was it because she afraid or was it because she countered everything he said with something negative? If he walked away this time, it would be her own fault; because he was trying to be there for her when it was obvious that she wanted someone there.

"It's been a long night and I'm sure we will get calls from the police station in the morning about tonight's incident. Try and get some sleep." He stated and turned away.

"Dean wait!"

He stopped walking and turned back around towards her; but didn't move any closer. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She stepped aside and motioned for him to come inside. That was the only time he moved closer to her. Once inside the room, he sat down on the only chair in the room. She closed the door and instantly went to sit down on the edge of the bed. "I don't know if you'd be able to help me with these problems; but I'm not going to try and stop you. I can't stay mad at you for leaving forever and it's about time I let it go and tell you exactly what happened."

"Addy, you don't need to tell me anything."

"No, I think you need to know how I got this scar."

He watched her run a hand through her hair. There was no doubt in his mind that she was mentally reliving the moment. Standing up from the chair, he slowly made his way to the edge of the bed she was presently sitting upon. Her hand touched the blemished skin right upon her left hip bone, reminding her of the last day she saw her mother. "It was two weeks after you left town and I was sitting in my room writing in my journal..."

_Adalynn sat at her desk with her journal open. The pages were filling with the black ink of her pen. The sound of the door banging against the kitchen wall echoed the whole way into her bedroom. She knew that her mother was home and probably drunk, which meant that it was best if she stayed in her room and nothing would happen to her. _

_ She had learned months ago that it was just best to not leave her room or to just not be home at all; but now that Dean wasn't around, she had nowhere else to go. Continuing to write her words on the fancy paper, she lost herself in all the emotions that were etched in the ink. Just as she finished the last sentence of the day, her mother barged into the room smelling of alcohol._

"_Mom..." She whispered._

"_What the hell are you doing, stupid girl?" She asked slurring all of her words._

"_Writing..."_

_ Closing the leather clad book, she stood up from her desk and pretended her mother wasn't even there. She pulled she blankets down to the edge of her bed and sat down on the fitted sheet. "Get up girl, I need money." Her mother yelled._

"_I don't have any money."_

"_Then what the hell are you good for? Why are you even still here?"_

"_Why do you always say such horrible things about me? I'm your daughter."_

_ Once the words were out of her mouth, a hand connected with the side of her face. It came as no surprise that her mother would strike her. It happened almost everyday. "You are no daughter of mine. I didn't want you, you're father did and look where he is now. Nowhere to be found."_

"_Wonder why..."_

"_What was that?"_

_ Adalynn stood up and started towards her bedroom door. Her mother wasn't far behind, chasing her down the hall. There was only one place she wanted to go and that was the park. "Dad's gone because of you. Your drinking drove him away."_

"_And you drove Dean away. Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been home a lot more."_

"_I'm not an alcoholic like you. I don't know why he left; but it sure as hell wasn't because of me." _

_ Her mother struck her again and again. Adalynn couldn't bring herself to fight back. This was someone that was supposed to love her and care for her; but has never done anything for her. She could taste the metallic flavor of blood in her mouth. Scrambling away she tried to get to the front door; but was caught by her mother's strong grip._

"_Let go of me!" She screamed._

"_I don't have any more use for a stupid child like you."_

_ She plunged the nearby kitchen knife straight into her daughter's left side. The blood instantly poured from her body. Collapsing to the floor, a pool of crimson surrounded her as her mother stumbled out of the house. The pain was unbearable; but she was unable to scream. There was no one there that would find her close to lifeless body lying on the kitchen floor._

Dean listened to everything she said, every detail of that night that caused his best friend to be afraid of everyday life. The tears that rolled down her cheeks were full of pain. The pain of remembering it all. "I can remember what my last thought was before I passed out." She whispered.

"And what was it?" He asked out of curiosity.

"It was of you. I wanted you to save me; but no matter how much I wished for it, it never came true."

Dean took her hands into his, holding them tightly. It hurt even more to know that her last thought was of him before she had passed out from blood loss. He was regretting his decision to leave more and more everyday, because who knows what would have happened had he stayed near her. "Addy, I'm so sorry for leaving you. God, I wish that I hadn't. Who knows what would have happened if things had been different; but there is one thing I do know and that's you never would have gone through that with your mother."

"It's okay. I didn't tell you this for it to make you feel bad. I told you because I felt that you needed to know. As it turned out, your mother saved me from my pending death."

His eyes widened in surprise. That was first he had ever heard of that information. It didn't make any sense. He honestly thought he had a close relationship with his mother. "Why didn't she ever tell me?" He whispered.

"I asked her not to. She was pretty determined to tell you about it all; but I just didn't want to burden you with any of it. I also knew that you'd come back in a heartbeat if you knew that I had almost died."

"Damn right I would have. Adalynn, I would have done anything for you. Still would."

She nodded her head. Understanding exactly what he was saying. Her arms reached around his neck and held onto him. It didn't take him long to return her embrace. His hand moved up and down her back in soothing motions. It took a lot of willpower to tell him everything about that night. She pulled away and wiped her eyes away from the last remaining tears. "I know you would and that was the problem. I didn't want to ruin what life you had just started because I was laying in a hospital bed with a hole in her side."

Without replying to her statement, he took the opportunity to kiss her again. His lips touched hers hesitantly until she responded with her own kiss. Their lips touched and broke apart several times before severing the connection completely. He leaned his forehead down upon hers, catching his breath. "Dean, please...I don't want to feel alone anymore."

"You're not alone. I'm here and I'm not leaving you again."

He chastely placed his lips on her forehead just as she shifted to lay down. It didn't take her long to fall asleep. His eyes continued to watch her sleep. The sight of her innocent expression made his heart skip a beat. She was the most beautiful woman he had even known, inside and out. The vibration in his pocket alerted him to a text message.

"_**Where are you? Renee is driving me crazy with her desires to get you back."**_ Seth asked.

"_**I'm at the hotel with Adalynn. She can desire it all she wants. It will never happen."**_ He quickly typed and sent.

He pulled up a blanket to cover the sleeping woman next to him. Sitting back down in the chair, he closed his eyes thinking back on the days in high school when he had been her savior. Without even realizing it, she had becoming his reason to make something out of himself. He wanted to come back for her when things were good and stable; but when he did, she was nowhere to be found. The house had been abandoned except for her personal belongings that meant the world to her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author Note: I want to thank everyone who has given this story a chance. This story is pretty different than my last one so its been challenging in that aspect. I'd like to thank wwemicky, CarolReigns, Imagineer1392, Zombie450AriesBournePrincess and Y2JJerichoHolic4Life for the reviews. I'd also like to thank psion53, KP817, LoveElissa, and Y2JJerichoHolic4Life for becoming followers.**

Chapter 11: Inner Shell

_Dean stood at the steps of the home that had once been Adalynn's. Yellow police tape was wrapped around the trees surrounding the house, blocking entrance to the abandoned structure. He cared less about the flimsy barricade and stepped underneath it. He was bound and determined to find answers as to what happened. "I've been gone for a year, where the hell are you?" He whispered to himself._

_ Pushing the door open, the smell of dead animal waved under his nose. It was obvious that there were creatures making their homes inside the house now that there were no occupants to prevent it. Something happened inside the kitchen; but he couldn't tell exactly what it was. His shoes crushed debris and crisp leaves that had made their way inside. _

_ The next room he wanted to see was Adalynn's. The door had fallen off the hinges, leaving everything bare to his eyes. Her favorite stuffed giraffe that her father had given her at age six was still placed neatly on her bed. Lifting the toy into his hands, he held it close hoping that it would give him some sort of comfort. Her clothes were gone from the closet and her journal was gone from the desk in the corner. The only thing he could come up with was that she had left in a hurry and it wasn't a planned travel._

"_Where did you go?" He murmured feeling completely defeated._

_ He wanted to take her away from all the chaos and from the life she had been living; but now that she was nowhere to be found, he felt like he had failed her. Running a hand through his hair, he shifted his feet to see a piece of elegant paper crumpled into a ball on the floor near her desk. Bending down, his fingers picked up the discarded paper. Adalynn's handwriting was clearly displayed on the lines. Unfolding the paper, he read the words aloud._

"_July 28__th__, 2004_

_ Today I came home from work to find that my mom had taken all my money that I had stashed away for my bus ticket out of the this hell. I don't know how much more of this I can take. She has done nothing for me and I don't understand why I deserve to be treated this way. I miss my dad more than words could ever express. I wish I knew where he was in this world._

_July 29__th__, 2004_

_ She beat me again. This time is was because I didn't have any money to give her. The bruises are getting harder and harder to hide at work. People are starting to ask questions. Dean, I wish I knew where you were. I miss you so much. _

_July 30__th__, 2004_

_ Dean's been gone for almost two weeks now. I haven't heard a single word from him. His mom hasn't either. I wonder if it's wrong of me to wish that he never left. I wonder if he thinks about me at all. Did he even give a damn about me? I'm starting to regret not ever saying exactly how I felt about him, because just maybe he would have stayed."_

_ Dean felt the burning of tears in his eyes. He had no idea just how hard her life really was, because she didn't really ever talk about her home life to him. Walking out of the house with the stuffed toy in hand, he quickly got into his car and drove down the road. His only thoughts were of finding Adalynn and making things right with her._

Dean sat straight up in the chair he had been sleeping in. Sweat rolled down the sides of his face and dripped down from his chin onto his hands. It had been a long time since he thought of that day. There had been so many emotions flowing through him. It had also been the day that he had figured out just how much Adalynn meant to him.

He turned to see that she was still sleeping soundly in bed. Reaching for his phone, he saw that it was 7:30 in the morning. Standing up, he stretched out a little before walking closer to the sleeping woman. Her hair was slightly in her face, laying perfectly along her jawline. He reached out and moved it away. "I wish that I had found you all those years ago. I doubt that you'd be this tormented if I had. I'm so sorry." He whispered before walking away.

Stepping out of the room, he quietly closed the door so as not to wake her up. Thinking back on the memory he had just relived in his dream, made him rethink everything he had done up until the current point in his life. He questioned everything. Was it necessary to leave when he did? Could he have taken her with him?

Adalynn awoke to an empty room. It had been the first night in a long time that she felt refreshed after sleeping. There was no nightmares to speak of and for that she was grateful. Sliding her legs to the side of the bed, she reached over for her phone to check the time. "8:30! Wow, I actually slept longer than four hours." She told herself with a slight laugh hinted in her voice.

Her fingers slowly made their way to her lips, remembering the kisses she had shared with Dean no more than twelve hours prior. Sitting up, she remembered falling asleep with him still in the room. She looked around and saw no sign of him, which disappointed her. Somehow over the last few weeks he had managed to break down several of her walls. The walls she used to protect herself from getting hurt.

Finally standing up, she walked across the room towards her bag. She pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a light blue strapless top with an attached belt around the midsection. Stripping out of the day before's clothes, she quickly dressed into the clothing she had picked out adding a pair of heeled sandals to complete the outfit.

Looking into the mirror in the bathroom, she immediately brushed her dark locks and thought about adding some color to her same old dull hair. That was something she definitely wanted to ask creative about when she got to work on Monday. As of now, they have been keeping off non-televised events; but eventually that would stop and she'd be full time. The sound of her phone ringing, alerted her to the reality that the police would be wanting her to make a full statement at the station.

"Hello?"

"Adalynn Michaels?" A warm male voice asked.

"Yes..."

"This is Roger Malcom of the Orlando Police Department. We understand that you were involved in a domestic dispute last night at a local club, is that right?"

"Yes...I'm aware that I need to come down to make a full statement."

"Great, when should we expect you?"

"Within the hour."

"Great! See you then."

She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. It didn't really matter to her. All she cared about was helping that woman get away from a dangerous situation. One she knew first hand would get worse if not extinguished right away. Adalynn zipped up her bag and began pulling it behind her as she walked out of the room.

When the door was locked, she turned to look up from the floor only to see Renee walking in her direction. She mentally rolled her eyes, not wanting to deal with the jealousy in that moment. There were more important things to take care than that. _**"Just keep walking. Maybe she won't see you."**_ She mentally told herself.

There were no words exchanged, just a look of hatred radiating from Renee's eyes. Hatred for her. Ignoring it, she continued on towards the elevator that would take her down to the lobby. Once she got down to the lobby, Natalya was waiting for her by the exit. Adalynn smiled upon seeing her best friend. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what came over me." She apologized.

"Don't apologize. You did a good thing. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, I got to go down to the station to make a full statement."

"I see, well I'm doing live events this week so we won't get to travel together. Will you be okay by yourself?"

Adalynn appreciated her concern; but it wasn't necessary. She had been doing things on her own pretty much her own life. All she could do was smile and nod her head. Nattie wrapped a comforting arm around her as they walked out towards the parking garage. A replay of the previous night flashed through her mind. Looking down to the ground, she felt the sorrow fill back up to the surface. There was a part of her heart that been empty for so long and now the Dean was there, she was afraid of what the feeling of being complete would feel like.

"What's wrong?" Natalya asked just as they got to Adalynn's rental.

"It's nothing."

"Addy? Come on, I know when you're lying."

She let out a sigh and proceeded to turn around and face her friend. Natalya could see the fear in Adalynn's eyes. There was something she was afraid of and her money was set on what happened the night before. She could imagine what memories were brought back up when seeing the man hit his girlfriend in public.

"Dean kissed me last night."

That was not what she expect the answer to be. Natalya blinked her eyes several times trying to grasp what her friend was telling her. After coming to terms with it, she tried to understand why she didn't tell her about it in the first place. "Addy, that's great. That means he feels for you just as much as you do for him." She commented.

"I just don't think it's a good idea to cross that friendship line. What if something happens between us and I loose him forever? Not only that, Renee is out for revenge."

"Screw Renee! She just pissed that she can't have him. He wants you and from the way he acts, he always has."

Adalynn opened the driver's side door, not wanting to hear anything else about it. Natalya hand came to rest on the cool metal of the frame. "Give him a chance. You have history and the connection I see between you is beautiful. The raw emotions flowing from both of you is electric." She stated with a smile and slight twinkle to her eyes.

"It's a lot to think about; but I'm not pushing him away. He's always going to be a part of me no matter what happens."

"Fair enough."

"I'll call you later. I really need to get going."

"Be safe."

She nodded and closed the door. Placing the key in the ignition, she started the car and started her trip to the police station. There were a hundred different things trying to play dominance in her head. The first thing she wanted to accomplish was getting that woman away from an abusive man and then she'd deal with the rest as they came about.

Dean finished packing his things up and left the hotel in a hurry to catch a cab to the airport. He was disappointed to learn that Adalynn was still being kept off non-televised events. He was hoping that he'd get to talk to her once more before their scripted relationship continued on Raw. Just knowing how she thought, he was worried that she'd cower back into the shell she felt saver in. Telling him about what her mother did exhausted her. The inner demons were still there, torturing her, making her fear the things he could give her.

"I swear that I'm not going to just walk away this time." He whispered as he rode in the back of the cab towards the airport that would take him to his next destination.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author Note: Thanks goes to Imagineer1392, Y2JJerichoHolic4Life, wwemicky, and Zombie450AriesBournePrincess for the reviews. Thanks also goes to ChaingangDiva, SethRollinsGirl, xTheCountryGirl, AmbreignsOrton for becoming followers of this story. I'm sorry for the short chapter; but it a crucial insert for Adalynn's character. I hope you all enjoy it.**

Chapter 12: Fork in the Road

Dean sat down in the seat next to the window. It wasn't long before more people entered the first class section of the airplane. Seth's voice could be heard from behind him. He waved and continued his conversation with Wade Barrett. There was just so much going through his mind that he was kind of glad that Seth didn't decide to seat next to him.

A sudden text message snapped him out of his trance. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he retrieved the device. The word 'mom' appeared on his screen. His fingertip slid across the smooth screen, accessing the message. _**"How does it feel to see her again after so long?"**_

A smile curved his lips. He wondered when she would ask about Adalynn being on TV with him. Of course, he gave his mother the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she didn't recognize her right away and had to be told who it was. _**"It's been a long process; but it's been amazing having her around. It's starting to feel like she never left."**_ He replied.

"_**I'm glad. She needs you, don't forget that. I seriously doubt that everything that happened to her in the past has left her mind."**_

He already knew that it hadn't. He also knew that he had been a contributing factor in all it; but he could see the change in her. She was slowly letting him in and it was something to be happy about. Looking out the window, he thought back on the kisses he placed on her lips. The feel of them upon his was surreal and the way she responded was breathtaking.

"_**So why didn't you tell me that you saved her?" **_He messaged back.

"_**She asked me not to. She didn't want to ruin any of your success in becoming something better."**_

It was so like her to be all selfless when it came to him. That was just how she had always been. _**"What happened to her mother?"**_ He asked wanting to know the answer without having to ask Adalynn for the information.

"_**Last I heard she was in jail. I think you should know that her dad became a cop and is living in Orlando."**_

His eyes widened in surprise. That was exactly where she would be heading soon enough. As if thinking about her sanity when it came to her mother was bad enough, now he was worried what she'd do if she saw her father again. He had abandoned her right when she needed him most. Using his fingertip to swipe through all of his contacts, he pressed on her name.

He held his phone to his ear, listening to the sound of ringing. It rang twice before going straight to voicemail. Cursing to himself, he left a quick message to call him back before hanging up. The helpless feeling returned; but he also knew that there was nothing he could do while stuck on the plane.

"Hey Dean, are you okay? You haven't said much lately." Seth asked interrupting his frantic thoughts.

"I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind."

"Adalynn? Or Renee?"

He turned to see Seth sit down in the empty seat next to him. The look on his face was inquisitive. He definitely wanted answers. Dean figured he owed him as much considering how distant he had been over the last couple weeks. He needed to find a way to stop thinking about all the possibilities of Adalynn to see her father against after so long.

"Adalynn..." He answered in a whisper.

"I guess I should have known; so are you going to explain or am I just going to guess?"

"You always wanted to know if I had a weakness, because I've never shown anyone one. The fact is...Adalynn is that one real weakness...always has been. I guess it took me a long time to figure that out."

"I thought you said that you didn't date before."

Dean let out a small laugh realizing where the conversation was heading. Seth turned to his friend with a puzzled look upon his face. "We didn't; but she was pretty much the only woman I ever really gave a damn about besides my mom. I tried to date girls; but it just never worked out and I could never understand why until now."

"I seriously hope this time it works out for you. I know how the alone thing feels all too well."

**Orlando Police Department**

Adalynn walked into the precinct wondering where exactly she was supposed to go. She just wanted to give the statement and get on the flight to the next city. Turning this corner, the woman she had saved was sitting in a chair next to an officer's desk. Obviously hearing the heels on her sandals, the woman looked up to see her savior in the eyes.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you." She stated.

"There is no need to thank me. I know what it's like."

"I'm Hayley Marshal."

Adalynn saw the woman before her extend her hand as a gesture of greeting. Studying her features a little, right down to the small brown beauty mark on her face just slightly on the right of her nose. The forming bruise across her cheek was the biggest blemish to her flawless looks. It was something that should never have happened in the first place.

She reached out to take hold of her hand, accepting the greeting with a smile. "Adalynn Michaels."

"Beautiful name and again...thank you for talking some sense into me. I pressed full charges against my ex."

"That's great. I'm glad to hear it. Where do I go to make my statement, I really have a plane to catch."

"Right here." A stern male voice interrupted.

Both women turned to see the owner of the voice. Adalynn froze stiff the second she laid her eyes on him. The familiar green eyes stared right back at her along with his short dark hair with graying sides. She continued to blink her eyes over and over trying to erase the image, knowing that it had to be a figment of her imagination. He really couldn't be there, could he?

"Addy...It's really...good to see you." He stated stumbling over his words.

"You know him?" Hayley asked out of curiosity.

"Yeah, I know him...he's my father."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author Note: Thanks goes to Stephers89 and jessfaye for becoming followers to this story. Thanks also goes to wwemicky, Lilygirl95, Y2jJerichoHolic4Life, Leasha Orton and Zombie450AriesBournePrincess for the reviews. I apologize if the Spanish in this chapter isn't completely accurate. I don't actually speak it, I've been using a translator.**

Chapter 13: Interest

Adalynn stared her father in the eyes for what seemed like hours. She could hardly believe that it was really him. He hadn't seen her since he walked out on her and the person she called a mother damn near close to eleven years now. Hayley could see the tension between them. She figured that there must be bad blood between them; but the second she looked into her savior's eyes there was a bitter war of emotion swirling in her orbs.

"Dios, es tan bueno verte. (God, It's so great to see you.)" The older gentlemen spoke.

"You could have seen me any time you wanted, yet you didn't. Why?" Adalynn asked almost in tears.

She only had dreams of the day that she'd actually come face to face with her father. The words she wanted to the tell him were lost to her. The only thing that was on her mind was the abandonment. Hayley turned to look at the police officer working her case. The struggle was clearly evident on his face and it weighed heavily on her sympathy.

"I know there is no excuse; but I did try. Your mother wouldn't let me anywhere near you."

"Now, I know you're lying; because she never gave a damn about me. She would have loved if you had taken me with you."

The anger that she had been harboring for a decade was now coming to the surface. Adalynn harshly lifted the hem of her shirt to reveal the small white scar on her left side. Her father look softly at the blemish his daughter was showing him. "If she gave a damn about me, then she wouldn't have stabbed me in the side with a fucking kitchen knife."

"Addy..."

"Don't! She tried to kill me and you were nowhere to be found. I dealt with the beatings; but when the money was gone she resorted to even more violence. I'm lucky to even be alive right now."

Hayley reached over to gently touch Adalynn's shoulder; but was quickly shrugged away. She turned to the tablet on the desk and picked up the item. Her father let out a sigh in defeat. He honestly didn't know what he could say that would make it any better. There were a lot of regrets in his life and leaving his daughter behind was the first one on his list.

"Was he there for you?" He asked.

"For most of it. He left shortly after we graduated and never knew about the stabbing until just recently."

Adalynn ignored the feelings that were slowly crawling their way to the surface. Her fingers took hold of the nearby pen and begun to write exactly what she remember from the night before outside the club. Hayley could only stare at her savior and feel the utmost sympathy for her situation. She couldn't imagine what she was feeling after seeing her father for the first time in a decade.

"Is there anything else you need from me? I seriously have a plan to catch in twenty minutes."

"A plane to where?"

She stopped mid-step towards the exit. Her hair flowed across the invisible air as she turned back around to face him. "Well dad, I am a WWE Diva now. I'm on a pressing schedule." She replied with a hand on her hip.

"Diva..." Hayley trailed off. She couldn't believe that someone from a famous company had actually saved her.

"I see...well that always was your dream. I'm proud of you."

"Save it, I came here to do what I needed to do. I'm out of here."

Adalynn stormed off in the direction of the exit with the heels of her sandals clicking as she walked. All Hayley could do was watched her walk away. She had no right to ask her to stay when things were so tense and combustible; but there was something about the woman that drew her in like a moth to a flame.

An hour later, Adalynn found herself seated next to a window on a plane heading for Hartford Connecticut. Her journal was neatly placed in her lap and her hand moved swiftly across the smooth page as the tip of the pen imprinted the words she wanted to express. The script was shaky because her hand wouldn't stop shaking no matter how much she kept telling herself to calm down.

All the emotions she was feeling after seeing her father again was all jumbled to together and it was making her head spin. All she wanted with Dean's warm embrace and his soothing words of comfort; but he wasn't there, no one was.

"You look like you could use someone to talk to." A warm sincere male voice asked.

"Randy..." She whispered in surprise.

"What's got you looking so down?" He asked sitting down next to her.

She didn't understand exactly why he was talking to her. The other superstars on the main roster besides Dean and Natalya avoided her. Renee pretty much wanted her gone so she could pick up the pieces of Dean shattered mentality. Her eyes searched his for a moment, trying to find some hidden agenda for his approach; but there was nothing.

"It's nothing..." She finally replied.

"It doesn't look like nothing. I know that look. You're hurt emotionally."

"Why do you care? If I'm not mistaken, the only person you give a damn about is yourself."

Randy let out a small laugh. He could see where others would tell her such things about him. He didn't exactly come off as a strong caring person inside the ring or outside of it. Adalynn shifted her gaze away from him and continued to look out the window. The only thing she could see was white fluffy clouds and the imagine of small buildings below her.

"You just looked like you needed someone to talk to. Everyone can get that way, even me."

"Did Renee send you here to torment me?" She asked turning back around to look at him.

"Hell no, to be honest I think she needs to grow up."

The one thing Dean taught her when they first met was that nothing was ever just black and white, there was always a shade of gray somewhere between the lines; but that was hard to believe when over the last ten years everything was just that, black and white. It was simple that way and it didn't require her to think too deeply into things like she was starting to now.

"Adalynn, why do you subject yourself to the torment of her. Why not just fight back, put her in her place so to speak?" Randy asked curiously.

"If I did, she'd be getting exactly what she wants."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't expect you to understand; but I'm not going to do anything. Things will play out how they are supposed to. If she is meant for Dean, then he will realize it sooner or later. I'm not going to stand in the way."

He could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He realized that she was trying to convince herself that someone else was meant for Dean. She didn't want to believe that maybe it was her all along. Knowing Dean for the few years that he had been a part of the company, he knew that the man was a strong believer in having close friends. He just never knew that the friend he was closest to was a woman and probably the woman he was fated to be with.

"And if that person meant for him is you? What then?"

"It's not possible. We are friends and always will be...no matter what."

"You are stupid..."

"Excuse me?"

Adalynn took offense to Randy calling her stupid. There was something he wasn't telling her that was critical. Her fingers clenched on the edge of her journal, turning her knuckles white from the grip. "We've all seen how he acts when he's with you. You'll eventually figure out that he's obviously in love with you. Which makes my asking you out a no go." He laughed and stood up to walk away from her.

She watched with wide eyes as he walked away. It made zero sense to her that someone like Randy would want to ask her out in the first place much less tell her that the best friend she's had since high school was in love with her. She was curious to know exactly what Randy wanted to accomplish by telling her those things. Did he want to mess with her emotions so she'd be confused even more or did he want her to do exactly what she wanted for once in her life?

It wasn't much longer after all the words were exchanged that the pilot announced that the plane would be landing at their destination. She dug for her phone in her purse and looked at the open screen and realized that their was a voice mail from Dean. Lifting the phone to her ear, she listened to his frantic voice asking her to call him back as soon as possible.

Feeling the jolt of the plane landing on the runway, her phone fell onto the floor and screen cracked up the center. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." She whispered harshly to herself as she picked up the broken device from the floor. More bad luck was still heading in her direction and she honestly had had enough of it. Without a phone, she wouldn't be able to call Dean back.

Standing up from her seat, she slowly made her way off the plane and into the large crowded airport. Her eyes franticly searched for a place to buy a new phone. Much to her disappointment, there wasn't much in the airport except for restaurants and that was clearly not what she needed in that moment.

On the other side of the walkway, Dean could see Adalynn turning her head from one side to the other with a panic stricken expression on her face. He wondered what had her so panicked. Starting to walk without any control over his movements, he begun to close the distance between them. His bag moved across the leather of his jacket with a squeak as he walked.

"Adalynn!" He yelled.

The sound of his voice calling her name alerted her to another panic that wasn't in alignment with the concern over her cracked phone. It was the fact that her heart swelled at the mere sound of his voice. That notion alarmed her that maybe she herself was in love with her best friend. She always heard girls at school or in the locker-room talk about the swelling of their hearts when a guys just talks to them.

Hesitantly, she turned in his direction. The sight of him took her breath away. Dark fitted jeans and a white t-shirt, covered by his leather jacket accented his blue eyes and messy dark locks of hair. There was no denying the fact she found him to be the most attractive man she had ever known; but she didn't want to believe that he wanted her, just plain old Adalynn Rae Michaels from the poorest side of Cincinnati Ohio.

"Dean..." She whispered.

"I was worried about you when you didn't answer me back."

"I broke my phone on the plane." She answered holding her cracked device for him to see.

Dean chuckled a little at her disappointment in the voice she used. He found the look on her face absolutely adorable. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he escorted her towards the bag check out. Her bag rolled out just as they approached. She took hold of the handle and pulled it along behind her. "Now let's get you a new phone." He stated trying to cheer her up.

Adalynn said nothing as they walked next to each other. She didn't understand why he was still protecting her, being the knight she always dreamed about before she realized that he was far better off without her in his life. Stopping mid-step, he turned to see her just staring at the floor. "Dean?" She whispered but loud enough for him to hear her calling out his name.

"Yeah..."

"I saw my dad today."

"I figured as much...are you okay?"

She looked up with confusion written across her eyes. The glassy look inside her green eyes warned him that she was close to tears. He hated to see her cry. It completely broke him. "How did you know?" She asked.

"My mom texted me today. I asked her why she never told me about saving your life; but she told me that your dad had become a cop and was living in Orlando. That's why I called you. I wanted to warn you before you got there."

Dean took the few steps he needed to reach her. His hand gently cupped the side of her face, cradling it in his palm. His touch was exactly what she wanted, despite her mind screaming at her to just walk away. "We can talk about it later if you want; but we really need to get you a new phone before someone tries to call you and can't get a hold of you. Stephanie really hats it when she can't get a hold of someone. Trust me, I would know."

She appreciated his attempt to lighten the mood a little with the situation as tense as it was getting. He was carefree; but would listen when someone wanted him to. That's what made him the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

Randy watched as Dean walked protectively next to Adalynn. He smiled to himself wondering how many mind tweaking questions it would take before she broke down enough to push him completely away for the sake of her beliefs and that's when he would swoop in for the taking. "Sweet little Adalynn, I promise you that you will see that I'm who you need." He told himself before walking away in the opposite direction.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author Note: Thanks goes to wwemicky, CarolReigns, Y2JJerichoHolic4Life and Zombie450AriesBournePrincess for the awesome reviews. Thanks also goes to Trina Tiffany, sweetortonlover86, ChantsluzShane and XxSayaKeikokuRyuuxX for becoming followers of this story. I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter.**

Chapter 14: Progression

A new Iphone was gently placed into Adalynn's hand after careful activation. The one thing that brought the spiral of mind numbing thoughts back was the fact Dean beat her in paying for the item. He was always finding some way to take care of her. Her fingers slid across the screen to see all the usual default settings. She frowned at the sight of it, because that meant she had lost all her photos and contacts...her memories.

"Have a nice day!" The Verizon worker expressed as the transaction was completed.

Dean waved a thank you as he escorted Adalynn out the door. He could tell something was bothering her. Reaching out for her hand, she quickly turned to face him. She honestly had no idea what to say to him. There was just so much going through her head that it was almost blinding.

"Addy?" He asked simply calling out her name.

"Thank you." She blurted out hoping that it would curb his curiosity.

"You're welcome; but that's not what I was going to ask for."

"Then what?"

She leaned against the passenger door of Dean's rental. He reached out to cup the side of her face, hoping to see exactly what her thoughts were through her beautiful eyes; but he found them difficult to read this time around. "What's wrong? You've been distant since you got off that plane. I know you saw your father today; but is that all that's bothering you?"

Adalynn smiled and reached up with her own hand to touch his. Curling her fingers around his palm, she felt as thought things might be different if she just accepted that fact that her feelings for him were indeed growing.

"You always did know when something was wrong with me." She replied.

"I know you better than anyone and you've captivated me in more ways than one."

A slight blush tinted her skin across the cheeks. His thumb broke away from her grasp and the single digit brushed across her bottom lip, indulging her into it's seductive gesture. Her heart raced at the mere thought of him once again kissing her. She almost mentally begged for it.

"Addy, don't let whatever was said get to you. You will get through it and I'll be there every step of the way. I promise you that."

"No need to promise me that. I already know that you'll be there."

He smiled at her brief moment of openness. She finally let down her her barriers that shielded her from anyone getting inside her heart. In his mind, it was a breakthrough in reached her guarded feelings for him. Every little moment, he would take with a smile.

**The Arena, Before House (Live Event) Show**

Randy walked into the building with earbuds placed neatly inside his ears. Music was playing at a volume low enough that he could still hear someone talking. He was trying to keep his mind off Adalynn and the sorrow filled eyes he had stared into hours prior. The unique green color was almost hypnotizing, cultivating and absolutely lured him into her presence.

He wondered what exactly he had to do to gain her trust and enter her life. Watching her from afar from the first day she arrived on the main roster, he knew that it would be a difficult task. She was evasive and anti-social; but considering the rumors he had heard, he really couldn't blame her from being that way.

"Randy?" Seth called.

He didn't hear his fellow superstar call his name. Adalynn was too far into his mind to focus on anything else. It was exactly what he didn't want to happen. Seth groaned in annoyance and reached out to pull the think black cord that attached the earbud in his ear.

Jerking back to reality, he turned to see who had shattered his train of thought. Seth stood with his arms crossed over his chest. The glare on his face was an indication that he wasn't thrilled at that moment.

"What's up?" Randy asked.

"I need a favor." Seth replied.

"What kind of favor?"

Randy knew this was completely unlike Seth to ask for anything. Something must seriously be wrong for him to even ask. The look on his face was conflicting and unreadable. "I need you to flirt with Renee. Get her focus off Dean. She's driving me nuts with all these crazy ideas to get him back."

"Can't help you there."

"And why is that?" You're always looking for a new challenge."

Randy laughed at the comment. Normally that would be the truth; but in this situation, he had his challenge already. Seth wasn't amused by the laughter of his request. "Sorry Seth; but I've already got myself a challenge."

"Oh really? I don't suppose you'd like to elaborate on what that would be."

"No, not really; but let me ask you this. Why do you want me to cause the distraction?"

Seth sighed and begun to think about the real reason he wanted Randy to do the deed. He was trying to help Dean out by having Renee completely out of the picture. "I just want Dean to be happy. Renee is getting in the way of his one link to happiness."

Randy understood what the man before him was trying to express and it also made the wheels inside his head turn with ideas of how Renee could help his situation. She was exactly what he needed for his plans to succeed; but the first step was getting Adalynn to trust him and that required him to actually find her.

Adalynn sat down at a table in a small cafe near the arena where Dean would be featured. Lifting the top of her laptop, she accessed the free wifi. There was a nagging feeling at the back of mind that just wouldn't go away. It just couldn't be a coincidence that Hayley was at that club that night. It just seemed too planned.

"Who are you, Hayley?" She whispered.

Remembering back to the look on her father's face when their eyes connected, she could tell that there was a lot more he wanted to say; but she wouldn't let him, because of all the emotions she was feeling all at once. Her fingers typed Hayley's name in the people search in the white pages.

The search returned with a no results. She silently cursed, not knowing what else to try without doing some illegal things. Her father held all the answers; but she didn't really know if she was ready to talk to him yet.

Her phone vibrated next to her computer. She looked over to see Dean's name across the screen. A smile tugged at her lips, eager to read the message. The fact that her heart started to beat fasted just by reading his name across the screen of her cell phone made her realize that things were definitely different between them now. They could never go back to being how they were. Dean had crossed that line when he had kissed her.

"_**Are you coming tonight?"**_ The message asked.

"_**I might. I haven't decided yet."**_ She replied.

"_**Okay..."**_

Her heart sunk. Just by some small words, she had upset him. Holding the device in her shaking hand, she began to type her response. If there was one thing she hated more than her life's memories, it was upsetting the one person that ever gave a damn about her. _**"I'll be there. I promise."**_ She stated and hit the send button with her index finger.

She quickly gathered her belongings and finished her cup of coffee before bolted out the door. Once she reached her rental, her body stopped walking mid-step when her eyes focused on Randy Orton leaning against the vehicle. "Randy..." She whispered wondering how he even found her.

"Hey, I thought I might find you here." He replied with a smile.

"What gave you that idea?" She quickly asked getting an uneasy feeling about him behind there.

"It's the only place in this city that serves an awesome cup a coffee; plus it has free wifi."

His excuse was mediocre at best and she wasn't buying what he was telling her. There was something more he wanted. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes watched him as he took several steps closer to her. "Addy, I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, it's the polar opposite." He stated as he stood just inches away from her frozen body.

"Then why are you here?"

"I came to check on you. You really seemed upset on the plane."

"That's sweet of you; but it's not necessary. I'm fine."

Randy smiled as he reached out to trace a fingertip along her cheek, tucking a large chunk of her hair behind her ear. Adalynn stared into his blue eyes that held such warmth. She couldn't tell if it was all an act or if he really did care about her. "Come out tonight. There is a group of us all going out after the show...join us." He offered.

"Where?"

"I honestly don't know. It's Nikki and Bri's turn to pick the place. Ask them and they will tell you."

"Um...okay. I really need to go."

He nodded and stepped aside to allow her to get passed him. Once inside the safety of her rental, she let out the breath she had been holding in. She couldn't help but think that something was really off about the whole conversation. Never in a million years did she envision Randy Orton to flirt with or let one ask her to join him in an outing.

Adalynn practically ran inside the building. The heels of her boots slammed against the tiled floor with every leap. Turning the corner, she slowed down trying to catch her breath. The only thing she wanted in that moment was Dean's advice. Roaming the halls, she finally came to a locker-room with his name on it. It surprised her that he finally had his own room for things now.

Balling her hand into a fist, she knocked on the door loud enough for him to hear. She could hear rustling behind the metal door and within seconds it opened to reveal a shirtless Dean Ambrose. If thoughts of his lips upon hers was bad enough, now her mind had the image of him shirtless etched into her brain.

"Addy...I'm glad you came. Come on in." He said stepping aside to allow her access to his room.

She stepped inside the room and a flash of the kiss they shared in her hotel room blinded her. It indulged her into thinking about a repeat of the event. It was getting harder and harder to fight the urges her body was telling her to commit. "Are you okay?" He asked snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I don't know. There is so much inside my head right now." She replied in a faint whisper.

"Is this about your father?"

"Partly; but another part is about Randy Orton..."

Dean's eyes widened. He didn't have any idea what she was talking about, which meant she was hiding things from him again. She had done that to him once before in the past. Adalynn sat down on the bench in the center of room. "My father acted like nothing ever happen...like he never abandoned me. That woman I helped seemed like she knew him and I can't help but feel like there is something more to it than that."

"What are you saying? You think it might have been planned?"

"I don't know. A lot of things don't add up. Randy talked to me on the plane, stating that he wanted to ask me out. Earlier, he found me at that cafe across the street from here. He invited me to come out tonight."

He was getting angrier by the second. Randy was someone not to be trusted by any means. He had no idea what he would accomplish by trying to ask her out. There was always an ulterior motive for him. "It seems weird to me." She finished.

"Addy, whatever you do...don't trust him. I'm not saying this because I have feelings for you; I'm saying this because I care about what happens to you."

Adalynn smiled at his words. That was the first time he had actually come out and said that he had feelings for her outside of the friendship level. She stood up and took several steps closer to him. The fact that he was still shirtless was not helping the cloudiness of her thoughts and the rational thought process to begin with. "That's the first time you've admitted that." She replied.

Once again, she felt his hand on the side of her face. It was warm and it comforted her in more ways than she could count. She couldn't take it anymore. The constant war within herself was becoming taxing. "It's the truth, Addy. It's always been the truth." He whispered.

"Kiss me..."

"Addy?"

"I want you to kiss me, please."

Dean leaned his head down closer to her lips. A wave of desire rushed through him. It felt like a dream he was experiencing; but he knew that it wasn't. It was a reality and Adalynn was finally letting him in. Just as his lips was mere centimeters away from hers a loud knocked came across his door, interrupting the moment.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author Note: Thanks goes to Y2JeJerichoHolic4Life, Imagineer1392, CarolReigns, Zombie450AriesBournePrincess and Leasha Orton. Thanks also goes to A98Axo and southrnbygrace for becoming followers to this story. I apologize for the amount of time these chapters have been taking to come out. Unfortunately, my idea flow is pretty much depleted at the moment and it's been a struggle to write.**

Chapter 15: Trust Issues

Dean groaned at the sound of the pounding on the door. Adalynn cleared her throat and took a step back. He ran a hand over the top of his head, trying to regain control of his raging emotions. He knew that he had worked hard to get her to open up to him and that moment finally was rewarding him, only for it be ruined by someone that was about to get an earful. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." He groaned and turned towards the door.

Adalynn let out a soft chuckle of amusement. She found it adorable that he was angered by the interruption; but once the door opened and they saw who was standing there, their smiles vanished. Renee stood with her arms crossed over her chest with an unamused expression upon her flawless features.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dean asked harshly.

"Relax, I'm not here to interrupt this little freak show." She replied waving her finger between Adalynn and Dean.

"Then why are you here?"

"Stephanie is looking for Adalynn. She asked me to find her and send her to her office ASAP."

Adalynn couldn't help but feel like something was off. Stephanie never asked others to find people. She either did it herself or sent her assistants to do it for her. Renee was far from being an assistant of hers. The fact that Randy was also interested in her made her think that he would enlist Renee's help to wedge something between herself and Dean. Either way, she had to leave to see what Stephanie wanted and the feeling of leaving them alone was unsettling to her.

"I guess I better go see what she wants. I'll be back." She stated and begun her short walk towards the door.

Renee never made eye contact with the other woman. She hated the fact that Dean had such a connection with her. If she hadn't been brought up to the main roster, than she'd still be with him. It amazed her how things changed over time. The second the sound of the door closing behind her, alerted Renee that she was now alone with Dean.

Adalynn stopped in front of Stephanie's office. Her mind kept wandering back towards Dean alone with Renee in his locker-room. Technically she had no claim to him; but if something were to happen, she wouldn't deny that it would shatter her heart to pieces. Swallowing her thoughts, she knocked on the door. Her boss answered the door with a smile. "Come on in, Addy!" She greeted.

"So what's up?"

"Three things actually. First, have you given any thought what kind of music you'd like as an entrance theme?"

"Yeah, there is one song I thought would go well with my character."

Stephanie handed her a piece of paper to write the name of the song so she could listen to it before she made a decision about it. Adalynn quickly wrote the title 'Drop Dead Cynical' and then the band name. She had listened to the song countless times and every time she heard it more and more of her character was entwined with the words.

"Second, I want to change your look a little bit."

"I was going to come to you about that anyway. I want to change my hair to a violet black color."

"You know it's a little creepy that you say that, because I was going to suggest that very color."

Adalynn gave her boss a little bit of a smile; but a nagging feeling of dread was still at the front of her mind. Something about Renee's tone of voice was eating away at her conscious mind. Her eyes shifted away from contact with her superior's for only a moment; but it didn't take long for Stephanie to notice that something was bothering the young woman in front of her.

"Something wrong?" She asked softly.

"No...no...it's nothing. What was the last thing you needed to tell me?"

"Just wanted to let you know that the onscreen pairing between you and Dean with evolve into a relationship. Are you sure that you are okay?"

So it was official now. Adalynn's fear was now becoming a reality. No matter how many times she told herself that it would be okay, she just couldn't let herself get comfortable with it. Especially now that Renee was out to sabotage her mended friendship with Dean. "May I ask why you decided to put me with him?" She asked out of curiosity.

"It just seemed like a good fit for you and for your evolution into this company. Everyone has to start somewhere; but when I first saw you out there with him, I just knew that there was chemistry between you guys that's rare. It's been a long time since I've seen that look when you two stare at each other."

Adalynn let out a soft sigh. Even her boss noticed their undeniable connection. She just wished that there wasn't so many obstacles to be overcome just to get what she wanted. Not only did she have Renee to worry about, now she had Randy as well. His intentions were questionable at best. Stephanie reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"You care about him don't you?" She asked trying to figure out what was really going on with her hand picked diva.

"More than you know. Our history goes back a decade; but there is a lot of things standing in our way right now. So I'm trying to be patient and live day by day."

"That's all you can do. I really hate to cut this short; but I have to meet with Randy. Apparently, he has an idea he wants to bring up. Oh and head down to the hair salon by the corporate building. I'm going to call in a favor for your hair to be done tonight."

The sound of his name made her perk up. It made her feel uneasy about it. Trying to ignore that feeling, she shook Stephanie's hand and proceeded towards the door. Stepping outside the room, Randy was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He smiled at her and her body relaxed. "Hey, how did it go in there?" He asked.

"Good. Things are going to change for me in a few hours. They are going to change my hair."

Randy took a few steps closer to her, just enough so he could pick up a small chunk of her hair. Adalynn froze at his gesture. She honestly didn't know what to do. It was flattering that he showed interest in her; but it was no secret that her heart belonged to Dean. "What color are they changing it to?"

"Violet black."

"No matter what they put on you it will look amazing."

"Thanks."

She attempted to move around him to return to Dean's locker-room; but Randy blocked her passage. She knew that he wasn't about to let her walk away until he said everything he wanted to. "You don't trust me do you?" He questioned.

"Not really, no." She answered honestly.

"What if I told you that I could help solve the mystery of Hayley Marshal, would you trust me then?"

Addy's eyes widened upon hearing the name of the woman she saved outside that club. Her only question was how did Randy know about her. Had he been spying on her longer than she thought? There was only one way to find out. "How do you know about her?" She asked.

"Everyone knows about the rescue; but I just did some research to find out who it was."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"You deserve answers and I just don't want you to get your hopes up with Dean when things like this happen behind your back."

Randy handed her his phone. On the screen, was a photo of Renee and Dean kissing. Adalynn stared at the photo long and hard trying to find some flaw in it. Some explanation as to why he would do such a thing when he had placed his lips upon hers no more than forty-eight hours prior. Her fingers moved quickly as she entered her phone number into his phone and sent the photo to her own.

She wanted to confront him about the photo personally; but now Randy had her number so he could help her figure anything obstacle in her life. Hopefully, it would settle her curiosity. Handing his phone back, she looked up at him with watery eyes. "I'll help you, if you let me." He said tracing a fingertip along her cheek.

"I need to go." She replied choking on her own words.

He watched as she walked away. A smile tugged at his lips as he heard the sound of Renee's heels clicking across the floor. "That worked better than I had expected. She's so naïve. I really don't understand why you want her." She commented.

"That's not your concern. How did the conversation go with Dean?"

"Bad. He really hates me; but I'm okay with that. Just as long as they never get together I'll be happy. He will come back to me eventually."

"And people say I'm crazy."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author Note: Thanks goes to Imagineer1392, Leasha Orton and Y2JJerichoHolic4Life for the reviews. Thanks also goes to spellbound12 for becoming a follower of this story. Adalynn's character is slowly transforming. She's struggling to find people to trust and there's going to be some changes and emotional standpoints in her life arriving soon.**

Chapter 16: Overcoming Adversity

Dean started his walk back to his locker-room after the show had ended. Adalynn still hadn't made an appearance since her meeting with Stephanie. He was beginning to worry about her and she wouldn't answer his text messages. He couldn't image why she would be angry with him. Once she left the room, he told Renee to leave after several protests and her feeble attempts to reconcile with him.

"_**Addy, come on where are you?"**_ He typed and hit the send button.

He looked up from his phone and saw Randy walking in his direction. The swell of rage exploded within his whole being. He couldn't help but feel like he had something to do with her avoidance of his texts and phone calls. Within a split second he grabbed Randy's shirt collar, twisting tightly before shoving him into the nearest wall.

"What the hell did you do?" Dean yelled.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." He replied.

"I don't believe you! Adalynn refuses to answer me and my guess is that either you or Renee said something to her."

Randy laughed at the display of theatrics. He never imagined that the man before him would react the way he was. He took hold of Dean's clenched hands and started to push them away from his twisted shirt. "Would you calm down? I'm sure she's fine. Stephanie sent her to have her hair changed." He explained.

"Maybe so; but she'd never ignore me for this long. And I know all about the fact that you attempted to ask her out."

"So what. She's an amazing woman, which you clearly don't see if you haven't made any moves on her."

The words stung. The rage was getting the better of him. He balled up his fist and struck Randy in the jaw just hard enough to make him stumble back a couple steps; but it was enough to send Randy into a frenzy of his own. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life." He warned.

"I've made hundreds of those in my life. This isn't any different."

Randy tackled Dean into a large equipment case, throwing punches into his ribs. Adalynn turned the corner to see the tangled men. She gasped in a startled breath of air. "Hey! Knock it off before someone sees you." She yelled.

Both men instantly stopped mid-punch. They looked over to see her standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. The look in her eyes was confused and that of betrayal. The perfect blue was blemished with red splotches. Dean couldn't help but think that she had just got done crying. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you seriously want to loose your jobs?" She asked angerly.

"Don't look at me, he's the one who started it." Randy blamed as he pointed a finger at Dean.

"I don't care who started it. You both would be in trouble." She countered.

Randy knew that she was right. It wouldn't have mattered who started the fight. They both would have suffered consequences that he really didn't want to have. Dean said nothing. He was frozen in his place staring at the woman in front of them. The violet black hair shimmered against the lighting inside the building. It was a beautiful contrast to her already stunning eyes.

"Addy..." Dean whispered almost pleadingly.

"Not now. I really don't want to talk to you right now. I'm tired of the lies." She replied.

Her words shattered him. Now he really knew that something had been said to her. Two mere hours before that they were inches away from kissing for the third time in forty-eight hours. He looked over and saw the small smile on Randy's face. "I don't get it. We were fine just couple hours ago. What changed?" Dean asked.

"You did apparently. I'll be out tonight, Randy. Just remember what you promised."

"I haven't forgotten." Randy answered.

Adalynn shifted away from the two men and started a small walk down the hall towards the exit. She thought back at the look on Dean's face when he asked her what changed between them. He seemed clueless as to what was happening. Was it possible that the photo was a fake? There was only person that would know the answer to that and that was Dean himself; but was she ready to confront him about the photo just yet?

She opened the door to her rental and quickly closed it as she sat down upon the leather seat. Her heart was racing uncontrollably. No matter how mad she was at Dean, he still made her heart pound. She knew that he'd always have that reaction on her. Even when they were younger the effect was still the same. Just like the day they met.

_Moving to Cincinnati for her senior year was not the highlight of Adalynn's life; but when her father got a transfer from Orlando Administrations, he leapt on the opportunity; but it always felt like he was leaving something behind and she could never get him to say what it was. _

_ Her first day of school was probably the most unexpected day of her life. Unfortunately, the reaction from the other students was just as it was in Orlando. They still looked at her like an outsider. A freak of nature; but she never let it show in front of them until she was cornered by the most popular girl in the whole school at dismissal. _

"_So where are you from little girl?" She asked._

"_Orlando..."_

"_Explains the tan skin; but what's with that hair? It's so...eww."_

"_Look, if you don't have anything nice to say to me I'd appreciate it if you just left me alone."_

_ Adalynn turned her back on the girl; but was stopped by a firm grip on her forearm. She looked down to see the perfectly painted nails digging into her skin. It was starting to make her blood boil and she was having a hard time keeping her temper in check. She really didn't want to get into a fight on her first day of school; but the girl behind her was really making it difficult. "I didn't say you could leave, did I?" She stated with venom in her voice. _

"_What is it that you want?" Adalynn asked._

"_Friendly advice, don't get in my way and you will survive your last year in school."_

"_Is that a threat coming from a pathetic excuse for a cheerleader?"_

_ A muffled laugh came from behind them. Both girls turned to see a young man leaning against a stone pillar the held up the canopy over the main entrance doors. He had messy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He had both ears pierced, wore a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt with a tribal design on it and fitted dark blue jeans._

"_You have to admit Liv, that was a good comeback." He taunted._

"_Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, Dean."_

_ He started to walk towards them with a sly smile upon his lips. Adalynn felt her heart start to pound against her chest with every step he took in her direction. Her palms were becoming sweaty inside her own grip. He was probably once of the most attractive men she had seen in a long time. His eyes screamed at her, drew her in without reason._

"_What are you doing here anyway?" Liv asked._

"_Wanted to see the new girl for myself and it looks like I've got to keep my eye on her, since you've already made it known that you want to make her life a living hell." He answered._

_ Liv huffed in disgust. She turned heel and walked away. Dean laughed as the cheerleader retreated. Adalynn shifted to face her savior directly in the eyes. He stared at her for a moment, taking in her features. "Are you okay?" He asked softly._

"_I'm fine. Thank you."_

"_It's not a problem. Livia is a total bitch and constantly needs to be put in her place."_

_ She laughed at his statement. There was something about him that just made her feel at ease. Extending her hand out to him, she wanted to introduce herself. "I'm Adalynn Michaels, it's nice to meet you."_

"_Dean Ambrose, likewise." He replied accepting her handshake._

_ The feel of his hand against hers sent sparks up her entire arm and it scared her into letting go far too soon. He smiled at her as if he had felt the very same thing when their skin touched. What she didn't know was that meeting was the start of a very close friendship that she would treasure more than anything else in the world._

Adalynn turned the ignition and put the vehicle into reverse. Music immediately started to play, immersing her into its melodies. Besides writing in her journal, music was her escape from the harsh reality of her life. She didn't want to admit that Dean was a large focal point in the harsh reality that was her current life; but her feelings for him were contradicting her morals. She hated feeling so at war with herself and there really wasn't anyone she could talk to about it.

"What do I believe?" She asked herself.

Dean quickly packed up his things in a rush. The anger he felt was growing by the second and he just couldn't seem to calm it. Shoving the last article of clothing into the bag, he zipped it up and pulled it along behind him. Outside of his locker-room, Natalya stood leaning against the wall. Her eyes held concern and looking at his expression only confirmed her concerns.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I don't know. She's pissed at me for some reason and won't tell me why. To top it off, she going out tonight with Randy."

"Jesus, what the hell is going on? She's ignored me all day to; but I do know where the group is going tonight if you're interested."

He perked at her offer. If there was one thing everyone knew about him, it was the fact that he never gave up on anything and he wasn't about to start now. Adalynn meant more to him that he first realized. Now that she was angry at him, it hurt more than words could ever express. Natalya smiled at his change in expression. There was no doubt in her mind that he was determined to regain her trust and prove to her once and for all that he cared about her more than anything else.

**The Club**

The music vibrated against Adalynn's body, comforting her. Randy handed her a drink, which she took with half a smile. He escorted her to a small round table near the dance floor. Taking the opportunity to show her his gentlemen side, he pulled the chair out for her to sit on. "Randy, I get that you're trying to be nice; but this isn't a date. I told you that before we even came here." She stated.

"I know; but it doesn't hurt to try. You are so different than every other girl I've met."

"How so?"

"You don't take shit from anyone for starters. I also can see your passion. You will go far within the company with the kind of passion you have."

"Thanks, I do appreciate you telling me that."

She took a sip from her cup of Captain and Coke. Her eyes stared out onto the dance floor. She could see the couples holding onto each other lovingly as the music moved them. That was one thing she never saw between her parents. They fought constantly and result was always the same. They stayed together for the sake of her happiness, even though she never was happy.

"Addy?"

"Yeah..."

"You really are beautiful and I do like the new hair."

"Thanks..."

Randy noticed that her mind was elsewhere. He was starting to regret showing her the photo that caused her grieve. His conscious was getting the better of him as he watched her hold her emotions back by a small thread. No matter what he wanted, he could never force her to like him in return. It felt wrong in every sense of the word.

"Can you really help me find out who Hayley is? Or was that a line to try to get me to go out with you?"

"No, I really can help you with that. I just hoped that it would develop into more."

Adalynn let out a sigh and stood up. Randy looked up at her as she took a step closer to him. She leaned down and placed her lips against his warm cheek. It was her way of saying 'thank you' for his honesty and he knew what it meant. Before he could saying a word, she started to walk away towards the dance floor. All he could do now was watch her from afar.

RAIGN's version of 'Wicked Games' came on and she lost herself in the wave of beats. Her body moved in fluid motions, soaking it all in. The lights flickered with every note and a hazy smoke screen was scattered across the floor. She closed her eyes, trying to forget everything for that brief moment. It wasn't until she felt a set of hands on her hips did she snap back into reality.

"Did you really think I'd give up on you, did you?" Dean's voice asked against her ear.

She swiftly turned around to face him. The smokescreen still was making it hazy around her; but she knew it was him holding onto her. The feeling of his fingers lightly brushing against the bare skin of her hips send all kinds of pulses throughout her entire being. He could see that she was at war with something inside her mind.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Why are you so angry with me?"

Ignoring his question, she began to walk away from him. Without giving a moment to think about, he followed suit. The cool air of the night welcomed her to its embrace; but it wasn't long before she was joined by the man that set herself at war. "Addy, please." He begged.

"Did you kiss her?" She asked without looking back at him.

"Renee? God no! Why would you think that I had?"

She opened the photo she had sent to herself from Randy's phone. Shifting her body until she was facing him, her arm extended so he could see the evidence first hand. He looked down to see the photo, remembering exactly when it was taken. It was a pretty awful thing to do to someone who already had a hard time trusting people. "That picture is old. It was taken at the beginning of our relationship. Seth took the picture actually."

"I'm a complete idiot."

"Addy..."

"NO! I shouldn't have believed anything he told me. I should have just come to you."

He took hold of her flailing hands, brushing his thumbs across the soft skin. Her outburst of emotion took its toll on her. He could feel her hands shaking within his own grasp on them. "Yes, you should have came to me; but you are no idiot for making a mistake." He assured her.

"Don't make excuses for me. You know that I'm all messed up in the head. Trust is an issue for me as it is and when I was opening up again...this happens. I'm a total fuck up."

Adalynn pulled her hands away from his and turned away from him. Tears rolling down her cheeks as she stepped away. In her own issues, she had just broken her own heart. Dean couldn't just let her walk away from him. He reached out to her and took hold of her elbow. She felt limp, not moving. "Listen to me, you are far from a fuck up. You are the best thing that ever graced my life. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't met you."

"I could say the same thing about you; but I already know where I'd be if I hadn't met you."

"Adalynn, I shouldn't have left you behind. I wish I would have taken you with me. I failed you, not the other way around."

She turned back around. Her eyes met his as one last tear rolled down her cheek. This was her only opportunity to tell him everything. Admit everything that was in her heart. Her mouth opened to speak; but quickly closed when Randy came into view. "I'm sorry to interrupt; but I wanted to apologize for the photo. It was Renee's idea; but I honestly just wanted a chance to show you a good time."

"Randy...I...I understand; but going to her level was ignorant of you." Adalynn replied.

"I know and I'm sorry. I'll make it right if you let me."

She looked at Dean, both thinking of the same thing. Randy could see the look and it was a rarity to see first hand. He wished that he could have such chemistry with someone. Adalynn took a step closer to him and smiled. "Help me find out who Hayley is without wanting something in return. That's what it means to be friends with me."

"I can do that."

"Good."

"Thank you."

He could see her smile return. She had given him a chance to prove himself and he wasn't about to blow it for the sake of crazy woman that meant nothing to him. He returned her smile and nodded his head before walking away. "I knew there was a good reason why I punched him tonight." Dean commented.

"Shut up." She replied with a laugh and playfully punched him in the arm.

"Hey, I owe you don't I?"

"Owe me what?"

His smile turned mischievous and she knew that look all too well. There was something on his mind and it perked her curiosity. He took several steps closer to her and reached up to brush his finger along her jawline. "You asked me to kiss you earlier and we got interrupted. Would you still like me to?" He asked.

"That's right. I did ask you to kiss me. Hmmm...should I let you?" She taunted.

"You are such a tease. Come on, let me kiss those lush lips of yours."

Blinking her eyes once, she reached up behind his head and pulled him down to her. Their lips met in an instant. His fingers tangled themselves in her long violet black locks. The feeling of her lips on his set his body into overdrive; but when he felt her tongue brush against his, he about lost all control.

Breaking away for only a second, he took her bottom lip between his lips. It sent a wave of pleasure up her spine. Her hands rested upon his chest, trying to catch her breath. The first kisses they shared were nothing compared that one. There was no going back now, she was in it for the long haul now. Leaning her forehead against his, she smiled at the realization that was indeed in love with him.

"Come on, let's go." He whispered.


End file.
